Talisker Surge

Review by: The Muskox

When I first got into the online whisky sphere, I managed to connect with some nearby whisky nerds for my first whisky get-togethers. I really lucked out to have immediately found several awesome people. This group has stayed together this whole time, and we’ve maintained regular meetups and close connections. We got together again last night to exchange whisky, stories, food, memes, and gardening advice, among other things.

One of the whiskies to pop up on the table was this new-for-2022 duty-free release from Talisker.

Distillery: Talisker

Bottler: Official bottling

Region: Islands (Isle of Skye)

ABV: 45.8%.

Age: No age statement.

Cask type: Finished in first-fill bourbon casks.

Price: $115 MSRP.

Color: e150. Chill Filtered.

Nose: Strong, with some volatile character. Peppery peat – applewood-smoked BBQ, with that vinegary Carolina-style hot sauce. Green apples, lemon, and interestingly some strawberry. Slightly greenish-grassy.

Palate: Light texture. Arrives with green apple, gooseberry, strawberry, and torched grass. Peppery and slightly acrid peat smoke on the development, and fire-roasted red peppers.

Finish: Fairly short. More peat smoke and black pepper, with a bit of a grilled-seafood note here. Mild fruit notes of green apple, white cherries, and lime.

Possible SMWS bottling name: “Picnic arson insurance fraud”

Conclusion: It’s certainly a Talisker – all the classic character is there. The problem is that this seems to be just an inferior version of the 10. The 10 has a better mouthfeel, more complexity, and a longer finish. If this were cheaper, I’d say that it was a good way to save some money while still accessing a real Talisker profile… but the MSRP on this is $115, so that doesn’t work. In that respect, this seems like one of those duty-free bottlings aimed at non-enthusiasts who jump a new label from a brand they might already like and don’t think twice.

Final Score: 77.

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.

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