Heavily charred sounds nice to me, and I like Talisker, not sure if this is a real effort or another NAS thing that might miss the mark.
Talisker Dark Storm, Island (Skye) Single Malt, 45.8% ABV
Minutia: Matured in some capacity in heavily charred casks. Reviewed blind, neat in a glencairn.
Color: Auburn, 1.5.
Nose: Nutty malt, molasses.
Taste: Oak, malt, honey, light pepper.
Finish: Molasses, musty, smokish. Medium.
Guess: NAS Bunnahabhain, leaning Stiùireadair.
Wow, pretty far off. I had a couple moments of thinking “Is this smoke?” but got a more woody flavor. That kind of makes sense with the heavy char making the oakiness mask the peat. The pepper might have been another clue I missed. Based on my experience with Talisker this is a bit of a let down for me. I thoroughly enjoyed Ardbeg Alligator and Octomore 10.4, both of which featured highly charred casks, so I’d have anticipated liking this a bit more. I’d give it another chance if the opportunity presented itself, but I’m not inclined to seek that out. It does taste a bit smokier after the reveal that it is Talisker, so that speaks to the benefits of trying whisky with and without expectations going in. This wasn’t bad by any means, just short of my expectations for Talisker.
Score: 74
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