Talisker 10 & Distillers Edition Side by Side

I’ve already reviewed each of these independently, but have decided to revisit each of them to see how my perception may have changed, and to compare them in a side by side to see how much influence that finish had.

Talisker 10, Island (Skye) Single Malt, 45.8% ABV

Minutia: Enjoyed neat in a glencairn, side by side with the Distillers Edition.

Color: Chestnut Oloroso Sherry, 1.2.

Nose: Wood and smoke. Bit of honey cereal.

Taste: Honey, pepper/spice, malt. Some smoke, tannic.

Finish: Pepper, musty, dry, caramelized sugar. Medium.

I generally like things smokier than this, but there’s enough punch that it feels more substantial. However that smoke is not really the focus, here, and those who don’t love smoke may be able to appreciate this (particularly the older expressions which are more tame and have more fruit).

Score: 83

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Talisker Distillers Edition, Island (Skye) Single Malt, 45.8% ABV

Minutia: Distilled in 2002, matured in ex-bourbon casks and finished in Amoroso casks, and bottled in 2013. Batch number TD-S: 5PB. Enjoyed neat in a glencairn, side by side with the standard 10 year.

Color: Auburn, 1.5.

Nose: About the same, but the honey cereal has a nutty quality to it, and the nose is overall much sweeter. Maybe a bit of mustiness.

Taste: Really just a spicier version of the 10 with a bit of nutty flavor, and a tiny hint of fruit.

Finish: Sweet, fruitlike smoke. Dry. Medium.

Quite similar to the standard, the finish here seems to add a bit of nuttiness to the dram, a small bit of sweetness, and it gets a bit spicier than the 10, or at least the spice is more present.

Score: 89