45,8°
Distillery : Talisker - Islands
Heavily Charred Ex-Bourbon Casks
Original Bottling
Traveil Retail Edition
Single Malt
Launched in 2013
Peated around 22 ppm
Launched in 2013 at the same time as its big brother the Storm, this Dark Storm is said to be reserved for travel retail, but can be found everywhere. Talisker has always used toasted casks for its maturation, but these are 'heavily' burnt, and apparently more peaty. It is indeed possible that the burning brings out the peat flavour, but it is unlikely that they have produced a new whisky that is peatier than usual. Rumour has it that this whisky will be made from casks aged between 3 and 25 years. Don't get carried away, the 25 YO has to be present in very small proportions, it's like Port Ellen in the Big Peat.
Let's Taste It :
First, a little coal and pepper. These barrels must have been well burnt. Then iodine. Black fruits, berries, blueberries. Evanescent smoke, topped with vanilla. Rather austere. The distillery's hallmarks are vague, but there nonetheless. Heather, salt. After a while, quince jelly, which makes it a little more approachable. The palate is better, with lemon, light vanilla and ripe white plums. Then the spices rise. It's solid, the distillery is recognisable, with a little relief. The finish returns to quince, it's earthy too, sunny. Slight bittersweet aftertaste. Sweet and sour sauce. White gooseberries.
In Short,
I was a little disappointed by the nose, which is light. The rest is more interesting, but this shy nose is, for me, prohibitive. Even the Skye has a nose with more character. Although on the whole this whisky is more than decent, even likeable and robust, I would not recommend buying it, unless you have lost your sense of smell, in which case it will seem about as worthwhile as the 10 year old.
Score : 84
To Be Listened While Sipping:
Joe Bonamassa - Going Down
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