Talisker 57 Degrees North Review

Talisker 57 Degrees North - 57% abv.

Talisker makes classic and richly flavoured whisky and that's why I love them very much. This time, I'm discussing the 57 Degrees North release - it has no age statement but is bottled at a big 57% alcohol (not cask strength).

click photo to enlarge - Thanks to Olivia Girard for the lovely painting!

Colour: 18 karat gold with copper highlights

Nose: White and milk chocolate with white pepper and peat.

Palate: This is great stuff. Comes on sweet and powerful with coffee and chocolate leading into a bit of salt and then a big hit of smokey white pepper. Lovely texture and layered development.  I get black pepper at the back of the palate along with some warmth working its way along the roof of my mouth back to the back of my neck and shoulders.  Some hints of honey sweetness and vanilla or maybe creme anglaise in there. Really, really good.

Adding some water to this (just 4 drops or so) brings out a richer, creamier desert-like quality... think along the lines of a custard or something.  I suggest the water.

Finish: Pretty well to the adam's apple and of long persistence.

This is classic Talisker and will satisfy that Talisker craving if you ever have it just like the Talisker 10 Year Old. This is no-age-statement but when the flavour comes out like this, who cares about age? Its big, its Talisker thru and thru but with the volume knob turned up to 10. When would I drink this? Best time is probably that chilly, rainy night. Would do good for you on that chilly gloomy afternoon too! Sometimes only Talisker will do, and this will do it.

Rich and delicious. Blinder! 

Bowmore Laimrig 15 year Old Review

Bowmore 15 Year Old - Laimrig Third Edition - 53.7% abv.

I haven't reviewed a Bowmore yet and it is an omission I've been meaning to solve for a while. Its a popular Islay distillery that makes whisky I enjoy for sure. Try Bowmore 12 year old paired with Oysters - wow!  Its all I can tell you.

Here we are trying a special edition Bowmore - The Laimrig.  Its 15 years old and bottled at higher strength (I assume cask strength) and I have to guess if its un-chillfiltered or not and whether it has colouring added or not because it doesn't say on the label. Its aged in sherry casks so its brown colour makes sense but I wonder a bit about the red-ish tinge to it. Visual evidence suggests its not chill filtered - the legs move slowly hanging onto the glass and adding water allows one to see all of the oils swirl around.

Bowmore seems to have distillery characteristics that come through almost every time - saltiness and a sort of black liquorice and medicine or what I've decided is Fisherman's Friend lozenges. Not sure where the second quality comes from but the saltiness apparently comes from the warehouse walls that face sea-spray constantly on Islay.  

click photo to enlarge

Colour: Brown with almost a red tinge.

Nose: molasses and smoke, brine, black liquorice, and medicine of some sort.  Adding water makes it smell more of a dark caramel with coarse salt.

Taste:    Sweet and peaty and smokey. This has some serious power to it.  It goes over a dark honey and raisins thread swirling with smoke and then moves onto salt and that Fisherman's Friend flavour that is distinctive. On a cold day, this will feel good for sure. Water softens this and spreads the flavours a bit.

Finish: good persistence and makes it into the chest with some warmth.

When would I drink this? Keep this for colder or wetter day (both cold and wet would be ideal). Its rich and smokey and would go well with winter, mountain air, or on a dreary day. Good effort from the guys at Bowmore. I'll have to review some more later!