[WHISKY REVIEW] The Lava of The Cuillins 🥃
Today we'll be focusing our taste-buds on a truly classic malt from the enchanting Isle of Skye. "The lava of the Cuillins" as the famous whisky and beer writer Michael Jackson named it, is a pretty well deserved epithet of the Talisker 10. If you want to get acquainted with the history of the distillery I recommend you start with my article on the Talisker 18.
Since the late 1980's the Talisker 10 it's one of the 'Classic Malts of Scotland'; a series of six affordable single malts representing each whisky region in Scotland and selected by United Distillers which is now owned by Diageo. The other five are Dalwhinie 15 (Highland), Cragganmore 12 (Speyside), Oban 14 (West Highland), Lagavulin 16 (Islay) and Glenkinchie 12 (Lowland).
Talisker 10 is bottled at 45.8%. The malt is smoked to somewhere between 18 and 22 ppm phenols, but the final product probably has a far smaller amount of phenols. Nothing on the bottle indicates that it's not chill-filtered, so we have to assume that it is. However, since it's close to 46% it's probably very gently chill-filtered. In addition, it's colored with E150, which is a pity, since I have a penchant for natural and hand crafted whisky.
Talisker 10
ABV: 45.8%
Age: 10 yo
Region: Islands / Skye
Price: ~34 USD / 0.7L
Chill-filtered and colored with E150
Appearance: Amber.
Nose: Iodine, seaweed, oysters, campfire smoke, yes, you understand where it's barking. There's also a slight hint of lemon and ginger that reaches the surface, though temporarily. The mandatory tarred rowing boat is also there, together with toffee sweetness. All in all a very pure and clean nose.
Palate: A clear maritime character with salty seaweed, but also a distinctly sweet center of toffee, vanilla and dark fruit. The peat smoke is distinct, but quite round and edgeless, consumer friendly frankly. There are also notes of camphor and menthol that chills the tongue.
Finish: Some spiciness from the oak steps forward together with a tarry and slightly bitter note that creates a beautiful depth. Although fairly short finish.
Conclusion: Extremely good value for the money. Although, if you want to see what Talisker really can do, I recommend you step up to the 18 year old (or even older, if you can afford it.) Not as elegant, complex and well balanced as the older Talisker's, but still one of the greater entry level whiskies. A score of 86 peat bogs out of 100.
Bargain quality... always worth noting :-)
Talisker is a taste bomb. And unavoidable as a reference whisky in this category.
Thanks for another good review... I have not tried Talisker before.
you should!
The tallisker 10 is usually one of the best value whiskeys i buy at the duty free!
A favorite in my family - although mine is a nice Macallan... a wee dram of Scotland's finest makes a happy woman.
Aw, I missed this post! I was just gifted Michael Jackson's book, and I love the "lava of the Cuilllins!" Also, I love your "mandatory tarred rowing boat." So great! Thanks for keeping up the whisky posts! :)