Talisker Surge (NAS, Travel Exclusive)

 

It's a strange world when Talisker releases a bottle named identically to a defunct neon green 1990's soda (Coke's answer to Pepsi's Mountain Dew, if you weren't there and were curious). Although Talisker (aka Diageo's marketing department) love to brand themselves with stormy/rocky imagery (Talisker Storm ... Talisker Dark Storm ... etc), this one might have benefitted from a few extra rounds through QC. Still, it's a Travel Exclusive Talisker bottle and I'm pretty curious. 

Talisker Storm (Second Take)

I recently found another good price on a bottle of Talisker Storm ($40) at a liquor store that's going out of business, and wanted to give the bottle another go after almost three years since I barely remembered what it was like.

Talisker Storm has been generating a lot of negative opinions across the net - virtually everyone agrees it is a fraction of the quality of the standard Ten Year, but often costs the same, or even more. Not a smart marketing plan.

Talisker 57 Degrees North (NAS)

Hello from Madagascar! I'm on the far side of the world but still knee-deep in the Scotch game. Well, ankle-deep - although I have to say that I'm impressed by the Scotch lineup in the 9th-poorest country in the world. Vodka, gin, bourbon are all bare bones here. Rhum is the local staple, and heavily available in a wide variety of flavored options (most notably coffee, vanilla, cinnamon, and a number of tropical fruits like coconut and lychee). 

ScotchTalk Vol. 4: "Taste"

Taste is a strange sense, and perhaps the most subjective.

Most people can agree on the scent of an apple, or perfume, or the ocean when they encounter it blindfolded. Most people can differentiate touch between soft and hard, knobby and smooth, etc., to a very surprisingly minute degree. Most people can detect almost infinitely small gradients of color, and generally agree what is pleasing to observe and what isn't (within reasonable limits). 

Guest Review: Glenmorangie The Original (10 Year)

Huzzah! What have we here? A guest review from my friend Joe Kano! From time to time I solicit my friends to submit reviews of Scotch they have tried for this blog. So here I submit unedited and in full glory, Joe's review of Glenmorangie's The Original - their 10 Year expression:

Talisker Storm (NAS)

Talisker Storm is a No Age Statement whisky (yet another) that is designed to fit in between the 10 Year (which I love) and the 18 Year (which I haven't had yet). I can find the regular Talisker 10 Year for $50 all day long, and the 18 Year for $115 or so, and this one averages about $65-70. I managed to pick it up for half price at $30, a real steal. 

Talisker 10 Year

Ah, Talisker. Called "brooding," "moody," and "intense," this is from the only distillery on the Isle of Skye, a rocky, craggy island; I recommend Google imaging the Isle of Skye and checking out the beautiful, stark landscapes for yourself. 

This is another big favorite of mine, like Ardbeg Uigeadail of the previous review. This was a Scotch that entranced me from the very first pour, and has kept me coming back for more time and again.