The future of Talisker? Special Release 2024

The Special Releases offers us a few regular faces almost every year, and the very popular Talisker single malt is one of them. The distillery used to be the only operation on the famous Isle of Skye, but with the arrival of Torabaigh that unique selling point has ended. This has not diminished demand for one of the ultimate classic malts in the world of Scotch whisky. We even learned that there are big plans for the distillery. Like we have seen Diageo do before, Talisker is on the nomination to get demolished and entirely rebuild. So, not unlike Clynelish, Caol Ila, Glendullan, Linkwood and Teaninich in the past. One can only pray they do not make the same mistake as the owners of The Macallan did. You get stuck with an efficient but soulless whisky factory. Talisker deserves more than that. As did the Macallan, by the way, but it is what it is.

This year’s Special Release Talisker is yet again an 8 year old expression. My dear whisky blogging colleague Ruben over at WhiskyNotes took a shot at trying to explain the method of maturation, but guys, honestly… rocks in a cask, tumbled around? I will not even bother. It seems, these days, you not only get the clown, you get the entire circus. Anyway, in my drawer I found a sample of the very first modern 8 year old Talisker, bottled in 2018. I called it a return to form then. We put them head-to-head today.

Talisker 8 years old, bottled at 59,5 % abv

Makeup: Beautiful packaging, this Talisker was bottled in 2018 after being matured for only 8 years in first fill ex-bourbon hogsheads. You do not get them this straightforward anymore, do you?

General impressions: Strong and fierce attack on the nostrils with this high abv, but there is also a lot of green pepper and smoky, peated vanilla. Lovely and concentrated. Confident, I would say. Instead of peppers straight away, we first get a whiff of salinity, and only then the raw power of the Talisker kicks you in the teeth. Smoke overload, dark chocolate, but much more mature than the 8 years would suggest. After the warming finish, a certain sweetness remains on the lips, almost like barley sugar. With a good drop of water this Talisker turns almost more Islay in style, with lots of notes of chocolate, rye bread and always this delicate smoke. On the other hand, it certainly is not as medicinal as some Islay can be. High quality stuff, and a delight to taste again.

Conclusion: A modern classic in Talisker’s more cynical era of NAS expressions that all taste the same. Loved it before, love it still, and proof that there is stock around to make amazing Talisker single malt expressions.

Score: 90 points

Talisker 8 years old, bottled at 58,7 % abv

Makeup: The latest expression in the Special Releases, again at 8 years old. We have seen an 11 and a 15 year old too in recent years. This Talisker was finished in casks that were “Stone-Spun and Re-Toasted”. Next year we get casks in which cats slept to make Talisker more adorable?

General impressions: Well, well, well, this Talisker comes out of the bottle with gusto! Lots of different aromas, split between a firm fruity character including some hints of red fruit. I checked my sample (acquired via Whiskysite.nl) is they not mistakenly have sent me a Port Ruighe (port) or Distiller’s Edition Talisker? There is also a hint of the sea, like standing next to some bushes on the coast, being pulling by a sturdy breeze. So far, I feel very entertained by this expression. If you dive in deeper, it is (still) surprising how much Skye has drifted towards Islay. Some medicinal notes make you feel schizophrenic.

The taste also starts off on a sweeter note. The fiery and peppery character of Talisker combined with the higher abv makes it difficult to keep this on the tongue for long. But yes, this feels to me like a classic Talisker. The sweetness makes this expression more submissive to the 8 years old we tasted before, but on its own this is good stuff. Nice peppers on the finish, not unlike the good Bolognese sauce my wife makes for the spaghetti. A drop of water seems to shy away the attractive aroma I picked up before, so let’s see if the palate offers more now. Much more smoke breaks free, and the taste turns peaty-bitter. The finish is a tad more friendly, with an oily exit.

Conclusion:  Talisker keeps the releases in the yearly Special Releases at good level. I have to say this one was a lot of fun, and shows different sides at different moments (time, water added). I truly do not know how much can be attributed to this weird cask story, but this expression works just fine for me. The sweetness in the mix is quite interesting.

Score: 88 points

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