Talisker 10 Year Old Quick Review

Talisker 10 Year Old

I had occasion to be in the Toronto air port hotel recently following a flight. I saw the bar had a few nice whiskies so I decided to go for a night cap with my two favourite people. For some reason I saw the Talisker 10 on the menu and couldn't resist getting some - it felt like the only thing that would do.

Normally I wouldn't do a review based on one drink in a hotel but I've had Talisker so many times (had a bottle previously too) that I was comfortable that I was in a right place to get the profile right.

Colour: colourwise this looks not as red as the last bottle of talisker I had. I think I am seeing this right and remembering the bottle from last year correctly.  If so, this may mean less artifical colouring? If so, this would be a very good thing in my opinion.

Nose: sweet smoke on nose. Peat. Some nice sherried notes on the nose.

Palate: sweet with smoke and big hit of pepper and spice. Leads to a nice creaminess.  Heats through to a bit of ash. I really get pepper with this. I recall a manufacuted note (a sort of tinny note?) in my last bottle of Talisker 10 but this seems not to have it. Maybe less colour? If so, its a welcome change because that was the only fault I could find with it previously. If drinking this, I'd suggest going with smaller drams because the pepper is prominent and can add up over time as that sort of flavour can do.

Finish: length is good time wise and works its way down the chest to the belly.

This is a good relaxing dram as a night cap following a plane trip! Honestly, I think every liquor cabinet should have a bottle of this in it. Its not the only thing I want to drink, but there are times where it is the thing to hit the spot.  Makes me curious what some of the more mature (18, 25, etc.) Taliskers are like!  Too bad they are so costly!

PS. Another thing to like about this is that its bottled at higher strength than most Diageo owned products - Alcohol is 46.7 %.