Line Up #3 : Talisker, an exploration

29 June 2021. 

 

 

 

 

A bit of history. (those who are familiar with it can skip this part)

It was in 1829 that the two McAskill brothers, natives of the Isle of Skye, acquired the land at Talisker in Carbost in order to build a distillery. At the time, whisky was not held in high esteem, and the Reverend of the local parish, Roderick McLeod, delivered many sermons condemning the venture, arguing that the building of the distillery would bring an "immense curse" on the island.

The least we can say is that he was wrong all along the line, because for a long time, the distillery was the only viable industry in the region, despite a rather chaotic start. It was declared bankrupt in 1866 and 1879. Each time, buyers bought it for half its original value, so that by the end the site was worth just a few hundred pounds. Fortunately, Robert Louis Stevenson praised it in one of his poems, 'The Scotsman's Return from Abroad': 'The king o'drinks as I conceive it, Talisker, Isla or Glenlivet'. I'm not sure about Glenlivet, but as for the rest, I salute the lucidity of the great Robert.

Thanks to this publicity, the distillery grew quite rapidly, and in 1892 it was valued at £25,000. Alexander Grigor Allan, who had owned the distillery since 1880, was also a tax attorney. This great gentleman joined forces with Thomas McKenzie, the owner of Dailuaine, and in 1900 had a jetty built to facilitate the transport of barley and whisky casks, which had previously been very dangerous. Construction of the jetty had been prevented for decades by the Reverend McLeod, who had meanwhile become the island's governor. Fortunately, he had the good sense to die, which suddenly made it easier to proceed with the work.

In 1916, the consortium that would later become Diageo bought the distillery. It was at this time that Talisker was included in the composition of the Black Label. In 1928, triple distillation was abandoned in favour of double distillation, which was quite rare at the time. In 1960, a fire destroyed the entire site, which was reopened in 1962 after extensive renovations, although the stills were rebuilt as they appeared to be.

The final stage of modernisation took place in 1972, when the malting floors were closed and a steam heating system was built for the ovens, which were also fuelled by peat of course. However, the wooden washbacks were retained, as was the famous system of serpentine condensers located outside the buildings, which allowed the whisky to cool more slowly, giving it its oily and fruity character.

Finally, in 1988, the 'Classic Single Malts' range was created, and Talisker was immediately included, with its recent 10 year old (previously the Single Malt had been sold in 8 year old or 12 year old versions). It was a huge success, and the distillery became the benchmark for island whisky outside Islay. The 10 Year Old was available everywhere at a very reasonable price. The range then expanded to include the many expressions available today, making it hard to resist.

At this point, the distillery receives 50,000 visitors a year, and the five stills produce a staggering 1,940,000 litres. But demand is hard to meet, and prices are soaring. Last I heard, the Master Distiller was a certain Mark Lochhead, and to be honest, I'm not worried about his future.
 

 

The Line Up Project. 

As I've just written (in the History section that you didn't read!), the available expressions of Talisker have become extremely numerous over the last fifteen years. We're going to start by sorting them out, so that we can focus only on the very essence of the brand. In other words, get rid of all those recent NAS that are of no interest, the Skye, Storm, Port Ruighe and other Select Reserve, They don't add anything special and aren't worth buying, in my humble opinion. On the other hand, I won't comment on the Neist Point and Dark Storm, as I haven't been able to taste them yet, but I remain wary. Also get rid of the 25 yo currently on the market, which is certainly very good, but far too expensive for what it is.
After this skimming, I'll try not only to establish the hallmarks, but also to draw up a profile of this distillery, to map it out precisely according to my standards. A lot has been said, and I'd like to make up my own opinion.

 

The Tasting. 

Talisker 10 yo :As far as I know, this expression is over forty years old today. And it has never disappointed. It's become an absolute classic. In fact, we should do a tribute to its anniversary or something.

The vanilla is smooth and delicate, with a touch of smoky peat. The two go very well together. Then the refreshing iodine rises, a breeze full of foam and kelp. It's the Atlantic sea air. I can feel the seawater splashing in my face, the salty hints in my nose, the waves shaking me. On the palate, the vanilla returns and mingles with an inviting peatiness, culminating in a lovely, slightly bitter and peppery finish. Score: 86

Talisker 2007 The Distillers Edition :Following on from the success of the 'Classic Single Malts', almost all the whiskies in the range have been enhanced with a vintage edition, The Distillers Edition, finished in wine casks. For Talisker, this will be Amoroso, a sweet, fruity sherry. Talisker has been releasing a vintage edition every year since 1997. I'm commenting on the edition released in 2017, mainly because it's the one I have, but I hear it's quite reputable.

I find a whisky as costal, iodised, vanilla-flavoured and with a touch of peat, but this time all this is softened by the Amoroso Sherry. Candied cherries, cranberries, strawberries and raspberries. On the palate, it's really smooth and creamy, very well balanced, with generous spices. More apricot, peach, maybe a hint of blackcurrant. And always the peat in the background, which comes through on the finish, which is quite long and strong. Score: 87

Talisker 18 yo :Over the years, the idea has taken hold that whisky should be aged and prestigious. Talisker followed suit, producing this 18-year-old in 2006, which did not disappoint.

I have the sensation that the distillery's hallmarks - iodine, sea foam and kelp - are fully present, but this time we're on a varnished wooden boat. It's creamy, with applesauce, cinnamon, apricots and raisins, vanilla milk, coffee cream and cloves. On the palate, quince jam, then pepper comes back, a touch of peat, heather, and a very long, earthy, charcoal finish, just the way we like it. Score: 88

Talisker 25 yo Natural Cask Strength 2009 :Until 2009, Talisker offered an annual 25-year-old cask strength. It's a real shame that this production has ceased.

I find that this is more of a torrent of fruits, even vegetables, apricots, quinces, pumpkin, butternut, it's woody of course, and monstrously well-balanced. Very light peat spices things up. A hint of vanilla after about ten minutes. And the iodine finally awakens. This nose is quite sublime, and in a way inimitable. Towards the end, the fruit returns, and it's really intense. On the palate, liquid silk, honey, still peppery, apricot, bushy. The finish is predictably never-ending, as we could have expected. Passion fruit, gooseberry, a bit acidic. Score: 91

Talisker 1985 The Maritime Edition 27 yo : Every year, a batch of Diageo Special Releases comes out, and a limited edition of Talisker is included. It's usually a very pleasant surprise. The 2013 edition, 27 years old, is the best Talisker I've ever tasted.
The nose is immediately fuller and very iodised. Otherwise, the profile is similar to the previous one, but it's softer, more honeyed, silky, with something spicy and tasty, holly, laurel. Heather earth, quince jelly, vanilla custard. The palate is really delicious, liquid honey, quite strongly peppery, on nectarine and apricots. The finish is endless, as it should be, in several waves. The shoreline on a northern beach. Score: 91

Talisker 15 yo Diageo Special Release 2019 :The 2019 edition of Diageo Special Release at Talisker has been particularly acclaimed. That's why every enthusiast should own a bottle.

I think you can really feel the sea breeze. It's back to basics, iodine, vanilla, light peat, heather. It's quite earthy, with soot and dead leaves. It's autumn. Initially sweet on the palate, then very peppery, with cloves, nutmeg and pepper. After a while it's quite warm. The finish is strong and very long, fruity and slightly smoky. Score: 90

Talisker 8 yo Special Release 2020 : Following the success of 8 yo Special Release 2018 (which was sold out, so I didn't have it this evening), the distillery's top brass came up with the idea of repeating the experiment, but this time with a juice aged in rum barrels. Praise gave way to scathing criticism.

I think the rum casks make all the difference, and bring a sweetness that is unusual in Talisker. That said, it goes quite well with the iodine. The earthy, limestone, chalky flavours add a nice complexity to the whole. On the palate, it's velvety and vanilla-like, followed by the famous pepper. This time it is tempered by a lovely sweetness, icing sugar and candied fruits. Mangrove and damp wood on the long finish. Score : 88

Talisker 57° North :Launched in 2008, this nearly cask strength whisky is no longer produced. Nevertheless, it remains a whisky to be tasted, as it is the only expression in the regular range above 50°.

The nose is fairly austere, with iodine, but above all heather, limestone and nothing much else. Light vanilla after the addition of water. On the palate, it's light at first, then very peppery, with a hell of a finish to wake the dead. Hazelnut. Score: 86

 

What I gain from it. 

• No one will be surprised to learn that this is a whisky with a strong iodine content. Situated by the sea, the distillery somehow manages to retain all its hallmarks, especially the iodine and foam, rather than the tide, fish and kelp as in Bowmore. I find that this iodine character is more successful than that of Pulteney or Tobermory, and better developed than Caol Ila. With better balance. 
  
• It's not just the iodine, it's also the limestone, and a brushy, prickly grass, holly, heather feel. It's hard to explain. The peat seems to me to be relatively light, quite smoky, around 16 to 22 ppm. It only serves as a support for the other flavours, and doesn't stand out too much. Here again, the key is to maintain a good balance, which I think is the secret of their success.
  
• The oily, fruity flavour of Talisker is often neglected, yet it's what makes it so good. There's already the vanilla of the American casks, almost always used for ageing. It's quite pronounced, but by no means omnipresent. It goes well with quince and apricot (but it's never acidic like Isle of Jura), and with a little walnut and hazelnut. This goes very well with the iodine and peat, and makes this rather austere whisky very approachable. The older versions in particular are very fruity. 
  
• The final distinctive feature is, of course, the famous peppery finish. Some of the expressions are quite spicy, but it's the pepper that really stands out. It's a bold choice that's been made here, and it's worked. Most people like this peppery finish, which is not only found in the 10-year-old, and it has become the distillery's trademark. 
  

In conclusion, Talisker is a very good distillery, with a profile that can be broken down into three major directions: iodine, fruit and pepper. Heather and peat are there to decorate the scene. But the strong point is the fine balance between these three trends, which are nevertheless contrasting and aggressive, at least for two of them.

On the other hand, I find that they rest a little on their laurels. They have the 10 year old, which is excellent, the Distillers Edition and the 18 year old, which form very appreciable top-of-the-range products, and the annual Special Releases to go for the experimental and/or the exceptional. And since they've been so successful, why change anything? They raise prices regularly, well above the rate of inflation, in order to increase their margins, and they wait quietly for retirement.. 

When was the last time they tried something truly new? An entry into the regular range that was really worthwhile? No, instead they prefer to release new NAS which, while not bad, are of little interest.

It's all a great shame, and although Talisker remains my favourite non-Islay island distillery, I regret this tendency to droning on, especially as the value for money is becoming less and less advantageous. More experience, more novelties, but above all a more visible dynamic that makes you want to drink, that's what they need. A ten-year-old in cask strength? A 16-year-old with a special finish, in dry white wine casks, for instance? Or a very young expression, at 50°, full of iodine? I don't know, but I'd like them to do something about it.
Some people will say that I'm wrong to complain, that they're already a very deserving reference, with irreproachable expressions, and I won't disagree with that either.