Talisker 35 Year Old Single Malt Scotch : This 35 year old Talisker is an annual Diageo Special Release and the oldest bottling offered by the distillery so far, distilled in 1977 and matured in a mixture of refill American and European oak casks. On the nose: you’ll get an unmistakable waft of strong Talisker oaky goodness, soon followed by a soft and gentle note of peat. This will then be complimented by notes of mixed fruits, caramel and marzipan. Notes of a spicy nature start to appear with a drop of water but this also exhumes beautiful flavours of red berries – yum! On the palate: the peat is much more intense (memories of TCP). Salty notes start to appear, which were unexpected and the fiery spicy flavours come alive. The mixed fruits start to slowly emerge, with that very faint caramel edge. These notes then start to develop into a bitter dark chocolate. The finish: is very smooth and warming with a light tingle. Followed by lingering oak and a gentle hint of red apples.
The verdict: Last week we looked at the Glenfiddich 30 year old scotch and we mentioned how mellow and well balanced it was. This 35 year old Talisker scotch is different. Well balanced, but the notes are much more fiery and punchier. As with all single malt scotches – this is best enjoyed straight, or with a very small amount of mineral water to allow the flavours to breathe.
Talisker 35 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky can be found online at the The Whisky Shop for approximately £581
