Review by: zSolaris
Distillery: Talisker.
Region: Island.
Age: 8 Year. Bottled in 2020.
ABV: 57.9% Cask Strength.
Cask Type: Caribbean Rum Cask Finish.
Price: Sample courtesy of /u/bradbobaggins.
Color: 0.2, Pale Straw.
Nose: It’s a bit firey with a lot of the alcohol coming through. Malt barley, a hint of peat smoke, and lemons make up most of the nose when you get past the booziness. Just a hint of salty sea air comes through as well.
Palate: Much like the nose suggests, it needs dilution. At full strength, it’s hot and really flavorless. With a bit of water, the lemons come through a lot with a bit of smoke. There’s a note that I can only describe as burnt chocolate behind that all. I did try adding a little more, but not a lot of changed.
Finish: Quite long. Barbecue smoke dominates here.
Conclusion: I’ve been on a bit of a Talisker kick lately. Every time I see it at a bar, I’ve been ordering some so I was really excited to try this cask strength version. I have to say, I am left incredibly disappointed. The whisky is fire-y and lacking a lot in flavor. Talisker’s signature maritime notes that I’ve been craving are all but absent except for a whiff in the nose. The finish is great, but really this all came across as simplistic and unmemorable. Perhaps my palate was off when I tried it, though I had checked it and it checked out fine, or a plethora of other reasons, whatever Diageo did here just didn’t resonate with me. The rum casks didn’t come through, Talisker’s distillery spirit didn’t come through, and I’m left with a whisky that’s decent but not one I’ll consider buying a bottle of.
Final Score: 74.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 
