Talisker 18 yr/Other Taliskers

[lincoln imp]

I know this won the main award for 2007 but as i am not a lover of the 10yr i have never bothered trying this one for fear of wasting the best part of £40. Well shame on me because i have just bought a bottle and wow what a great drop of whisky this is. Are the others in the Talisker range as nice as this one? I tasted it alongside the 10yr which i still do not like it so it stays on the bottom shelf.Any thoughts?

[lambda]

Besides the two you mentioned, I only had the distiller's edition. I think this one is closer to the 10yo (in terms of peatyness), but sweeter because of the sherry finish. What is it you do not like about the 10?

[Drrich1965]

http://www.whiskymag.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6834

Follow the link to a recent discussion of just this topic.

[les taylor]

lincoln imp you might not want to hear this, but given time I think you will get to like the T10 as well. You need to go back to it every now and again. It will win you over.

However the T18 top totty.

[lincoln imp]

To be honest it is probably that i am not the worlds biggest lover of peaty whisky and while not as heavy as an islay i just cannot seem to enjoy it. I know that in the Netherlands Islay whisky is very popular as per Masters of Malt but thats not to say that i do not like all the peaty ones as i can appreciate fully a 16 yr Lagavulin being 1/2 way through a bottle at the moment. Is it worth trying an 18 yr Caol Ila rather then the 12yr?Cheer. LI

[shoganai]

I didn't like Talisker 10 at first because of the pepper taste. It was like someone spiked my drink with tobasco. Over time, though, it grew on my and now I love it. Still the only Tali I've tried. Got bottles of DE and 18 sitting on the shelf waiting to be opened....

[lambda]

Compared to the Caol Ila 12, the 18yo is much less peaty. I would think it's still on the level of the talisker 10 though. If you don't like peatyness much, I cannot recommend it.

[Reggaeblues]

Caol Ila 18 reminds me of both Talisker 10 and Lagavulin 16. Maybe not quite as regal as either, but a nice oily texture.

A damn fine dram!

It also reminds me of the night I spiked my Ardbeg 10 with a sherry monster - the Aberlour a'bunadh...or was it the other way round?

[bamber]

Clynelish 14yo OB might be to your tastes.

[BruceCrichton]

There is an indie called Black Cuillin and, I believe that Adelphi's 1992 breath of Isles is Talisker.

Douglas Laing's tactical is usually very good.

[Ganga]

I've had several Taliskers: 10, DE, 175th, 18 and an OMC 20. Of the group, the 18 was by far the finest of the drams. The OMC 20 was very heavily sherried which took away from the Talisker elements of the whisky.

[EdipisReks]

Caol Ila 18 reminds me of both Talisker 10 and Lagavulin 16. Maybe not quite as regal as either, but a nice oily texture.

A damn fine dram!

i agree.

[Deactivated Member]

I was lucky enough to try a dram of the 25yo at the distillery - it was even better than the 18yo. It had added depth (probably sherry) and a real fruity orangey warm texture underneath the pepperiness.

I also have fond memories of The Whisky Shop's Fiskavaig. This was a twenty-something Talisker that had a sweet mouth arrival, some chocolate, a wave of pepper and a very, very long smoky finish.

[BruceCrichton]

Assuming it is Talisker, and it doesn't half taste like it, Adelphi's forthcoming 1992 Breath of the Isles at 55.6% abv is fantastic and a must buy, as are most Adelphi bottles

[irishwhiskeychaser]

Opened a 1985 talisker from McLeods last night. A cracker... much rounder and A BIT sweeter than the 10 and has not lost all of it's pepper punch either. A rewarding dram.

[BruceCrichton]

Talisker 10 is very sweet these days and has lost it's pepper punch.

[pmullin]

I am a big Talisker 10 fan, and just tried the Distiller's Edition for the first time. I was was very impressed - it has everything that you would expect from a Talisker, plus just a touch of sweetness along with a more pronounced smoky flavour.

[randall fairbrook]

my tasting notes for talisker 18:

Talisker 18 year island, isle of skye single malt scotch whisky - 45.8%

color: rich deep straw

nose: alcohol, grass, earthy, slight citrus tang

mouthfeel: immediate earthy, long warmth on the tongue back

taste: grass top notes, alcohol, corn, long peat finish

nose with water: tame earth, vegetal

taste with water: more smooth grass and corn, long wet wood finish, tingling in the cheeks

best neat

[clicker7]

My favorites are the 18, and 10. Both fine drams on a cold night!

I think the Distillers Edition is interesting, and different ( A Talisker with a sherry finish). For me this one has a great nose, but maybe a tad too sweet for me , and I miss a little of the pepper with this one-- but still a fine and complex dram.

Joseph

[MacAttack80]

The Talisker 10 year old happened to be the first single malt purchase I made. I wasnt too sure about it at first. I think the peatyness of the malt threw me off. I wasn't expecting it. Now that I understand the malt I enjoy it very much. I have yet to get my hands on the 18 year old. I am looking forward to that

[K-Mile]

I tried a flight of 5 Taliskers at Whisky Live last Friday, at the Diageo masterclass.

The 18yo is very nice, and one of the best I've tasted that evening. It was on par with the 25yo (last one maybe slightly better, little bit more rich, smooth, but less spicy), but the 175th anniversary edition was the best I tried. The DE is too heavily sherried, which is not a bad thing, but does not have that real Talisker taste to it. A little dull. The 10yo is spicy, fresh, and very enjoyable.