It’s time to review this year’s Diageo Special releases.. I know It’s been a while since they were announced but as they are hitting most stores right now, it’s the perfect timing.
I will start by reviewing the ‘affordable’ ones which mere mortals like us can buy, and then move on to the more limited and expensive ones of course. The first one I am about to review is a Talisker, a distillery I like very much, and this year’s edition is quite older than yesteryear’s 8 year old Talisker, which for me is a good thing (I was not a big fan of the 8 yo). Diageo were kind enough to release this at 57.3% ABV. The whisky was matured in freshly charred American oak hogsheads…
let’s taste:
Talisker 15 Year Old (Special Release 2019) , 57.3% , £109
Nose : Lovely sweet smoke up front (beach bonfire), quite spicy as well, with chilly, ginger, and a peppery tang (Talisker, isn’t it?) quite coastal as well, with rocky beaches and motor boats gasoline , caramelized brown sugar stewed apples and lemon drops. very nice. It’s quite fierce but complex. with some water it becomes even more biting with hints of pine resin and some ash.
Palate: A nice earthy start to it, with touches of chocolate and vanilla underneath, warm smoke, pepper and dark red fruit, black tea , charred wood, ash, and pepper. There’s also licorice and sea spray, with the sweet and peppery ash going a long way, with quite some earthy peat as well.
Finish: big heaps of earthy peat, sweet pastries a sprinkle of sea-salt burnt toffee, and damp earth.
Conclusion: A very good Talisker, with quite a lot of peat, ash and bonfire smoke in addition to sweetness and fruit. Lovely.
Score: 89/100
Still available on the Master of Malt site (and others).