Era: pre-1988
ABV: 45.8%
Volume: 75cl
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This Talisker 10-Year-Old was bottled pre-1988, the year the Classic Malts range was launched, which means it was distilled in the mid to late 1970s. It features a distinctive map of the Isle of Skye to the front label of the bottle and to the box.
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Tasting notes by Serge Valentin 92/100:
"Colour: gold. Nose: my first reaction is that it smells like an old Ardbeg. Not violent but hugely peaty and medicinal, with lots of iodine, oysters, bandages, camphor, even a little eucalyptus. All that settles down after a moment, the whisky getting sort of calmer, developing on overripe apples, black pepper, vanilla, a little cinnamon and, here we go again, ‘fresh’ seaweed. And also a little coffee… and more and more pepper. Excellent and with a little ‘bottle ageing’ (don’t shoot at me) it got almost perfect.
Mouth: these apples try to make it onto your palate for a moment but it’s the peat that wins the first battle. Lots of it plus heavy liquorice, salt and pepper. Not exactly subtle but beautifully big. Well, it seems that the fruitiness (that does exist in the background) will never make it this time, as this Tasliker grows even saltier, more peppery as well, with also a faint minerality… And the finish is very long, always on peat – pepper – salt – liquorice… Superbly compact."
