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.
As before, it carries no age statement and consists of a mix of whiskies between 3 and 25 years old; you better believe the majority of that is towards the younger side. Bottled at 45.8%.
Nose: Ah, that old Talisker scent. Very strong maritime notes - brine, salt, smoke, minerals, iodine - along with vanilla, salted caramel apple, and something sour, maybe lime. There is a certain savory thing going on here - the brine aspect is reminiscent of vinegar-based BBQ, maybe.
Mouthfeel: Medium body on this one, but silky.
Palate: The maritime elements broaden here under a large alcohol bloom - there is a lot of young whisky in this. Lots of salt and sour brine and smoke. Underneath them is the lime, and then a lot of cereal and oak and pepper. Somewhat brief flavors, shorter and simpler than I remembered. Considerably less BBQ on the palate than I found during my last review.
Finish: Finish is medium-to-short, heavy on the pepper. The smoke lingers on the tongue long after the dram goes down.
Verdict: I like this a lot, but it's definitely not as rich and complex as Talisker 10 ... which is why it's being sold for $10 less currently. There are less oceanic elements, the smoke isn't as shaded, the fruit underneath isn't as interesting, and there is a certain dominant alcohol-and-pepper combination that isn't really desirable.
This is a good whisky and I'd choose it over many others in the $40 category, but it's flawed. I'm glad Diageo no longer attempts to seek $60-70 for this, which is folly. (Update: the local county liquor stores, usually very good on price, charge $60 for what they call Talisker Storm Select Cask Edition... I don't know what that refers to, I can't find reference to it anywhere).
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