Review by: The Muskox

Here’s a classic malt that I’m finally getting to, roughly ~700 reviews after I probably should have. Unlike most of my other unreviewed popular whiskies, like Glenfiddich 12, Glenlivet 12, and Laphroaig 10, I had never even tried Talisker 18 until my buddy poured me some a few weeks ago.

This is also a slightly older bottling, filled in 2012.

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Distillery: Talisker

Bottler: Official bottling

Region: Islands (Isle of Skye)

ABV: 45.8%

Age: 18 Years. Bottled in 2012.

Cask type: Unknown.

Price: N/A, sample.

Color: e150. Chill Filtered.

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Nose: Sweet and fresh. lots of ripe green apple, slightly citrusy too, pomelo and lime. Malty-sweet notes of honey and crusty brioche. A hint of worm-tub earthy funk, and mellow peat. Cocoa powder and cayenne pepper. The brininess took some time to emerge, but it is there. A hint of an iron note. Slightly vegetal – pea pods? Hints of hydrocarbon peat reek (acrylic paint?) and a tiny bit of paraffin.

Palate: Medium-light texture. Arrives softly with citrus, green apple, and light brioche. There’s a nice vegetal coolness in the middle here, almost cucumber-y, along with a hints of paraffin and tropical fruit. As the whisky develops, there’s coal smoke, robust oak, strong black tea, and black pepper. Slight savouriness, too, maybe sundried tomatoes. Lots of salty earth and some waxy milk chocolate.

Finish: Moderate-length. The earth and smoke come in stronger here. Peat-reek and moss. More cucumber and chili flakes. Dark chocolate. Seaweed crackers. Lingering meatiness. Wool sweater. Mouthwatering salt.

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Possible SMWS bottling name: “Last first-class supper on the Titanic”

Conclusion: An excellent and well-rounded whisky. It’s surprisingly old-school in character, with those coal-smoke, paraffin, meaty, and pleasant metallic notes. I’ll have to find some newer 18 to see if those notes are still there. It’s a shame that this whisky is so expensive outside of Europe and the UK – this would probably help satisfy that American contingent of whisky drinkers currently throwing all their money at Springbank.

Final Score: 86.

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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.