Talisker 30yo. Special Releases 2010. OB. 57.3%. 70cl.
Colour: Gold
Nose: Intensely sea-fresh, delicate twists of white pepper, wholegrain mustard and bags of soft green and white fruits. Kelp, preserved lemons, tar and some really beautiful old peat oils simmering in the background. Lots of mineral and granite like flint qualities, beautifully balanced between delicate oily sweetness and pristine, dry, coastal aromas. Briny notes of smoked mussels and fresh shellfish, then something moreish and savory like leeks frying in butter and cullen skink. After a while it even starts to become slightly tropical.
Palate: Classic Talisker, big and peppery. Earthy, oily peat, grassy smoke, more saline, preserved lemon notes and eucalyptus oil. This is another one that seems to open up beautifully with time. Green tea, earl grey, kippers, more fat, greasy oiliness, old rope, kiwis and green apples. Another flawlessly clean and pristine profile that just seems to keep on developing these beautiful sub-flavours. After time there is more spice, some subtle old wood astringency and a tiny nugget of vanilla.
Finish: Long and full of salt, oily kippers, white pepper and floral/coastal freshness.
Comments: Like the regular releases of Lagavulin 12yo these 30yo Taliskers are just brilliant every time. A wonderful example of how phenols can generate power and fragility in equal measure as a whisky ages. Beautifully balanced, complex whisky.
