GlenDronach Parliament Review

“Licking a PX Cask"

Whisky Review # 672

Country: Scotland

Region: Highlands

Brand: GlenDronach Parliament

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 21 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 48%
Maturation: Sherry casks    
Chill Filtration: No      
Price Range: On average around US$ 140 (January 2018). 
Buying Advice: 😒 Negative. Too Expensive. Go for the 15 or 18 instead! 

Colour: Mahogany (Natural Colour)

Nose: Please make sure to give this GlenDronach sufficient time in the glass  before you start nosing. My first impression is the deep Sweetness as a result of long years of contact between an important part of the Spirit and the PX casks. Sherry Bomb fans will love these full Aromas of Dried Fruit like Raisins, Plums, Sultanas, Apricots, Dates and mixed Nuts (Nutella). I also find Toasted Oat-Meal, slightly Burn Toast with a dollop of Salted Butter, Caramel, Brown Sugar, Rum-soaked Fruitcake, Citrus Peel, Dusty Earth, Maraschino Cherries, Marzipan, Espresso, Milk Chocolate, Sour Apples, Polished Leather Upholstery, Cinnamon, Mint, Clove, Soy Sauce, Toasted Wood and Canned Meat. There are hints of Sulphur, Burnt Rubber and Varnish but they are not strong enough to spoil the party. These Aromas also tend to diminish after half an hour or so. The Alcohol  is noticeable so you need to find your way around it. Solid Sherried Nose but without the Wow factor.

Palate: Bitter-Sweet, slightly Sour, quite Woody and Spicy with Toasted Cereals, Treacle, Brown Sugar, Caramel, the Dried Fruits and Nuts from the Nose, Wax, Cocoa Powder, Orange Peel, Dusty Road, Toasted Oak, Dark Chocolate, Pepper, Ginger, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Clove, Aniseed, Licorice, Menthol, Dried Herbs, Nutmeg, Cassis, Espresso, Overripe Cherries and hints of Polished Leather and Tobacco. There's a Meaty feeling to the Palate but I can't nail it precisely. Tinned Spam perhaps.   

Finish: Short to Medium, Bitter-Sweet, Medium-Dry, quite Woody, slightly Sour and Spicy. You will find the Dried Fruit and Nuts from the Nose, Toasted Cereals, Caramel, Strong Black Tea, Espresso, Dark Chocolate, Orange-Peel, Red Berries, Grapefruit, Toasted Oak, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cardamom, Aniseed, Licorice, Dried Herbs, Menthol and hints of Leather, Tobacco and Ashes. It's all quite Dark and Strong and at times it felt like licking the inside of a refill PX cask. I'm sure there are fans who love that but it's not quite my thing.            

Drinking Advice:

I added a little Water and the Christmas Cake Aromas get stronger. I get some Peach as well. Palate and Finish do not change in a significant way although the Finish gets even more Oak influences. The Alcohol retreats of course and that's a good thing. The Parliament certainly accepts a little Water so I advise you to start with 5 drops for a normal sized dram and increase it 3 drops at a time until you get the right feeling.   

Rating: 83      

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 20.5

General Remarks:

🏣   The Distillery and Today's Whisky:

GlenDronach was founded in 1826 and is located in Forgue (Aberdeenshire) in the Scottish Highlands. In 2008, Pernod Ricard from France sold it to the owners of the Benriach distillery. The current core range includes the Hielan (8 Y), the Original (12 Y), the Parliament (21 Y), the Grandeur (25 Y) and a few peated  Malts with a Wine Finish. Today's production lies at around 1,2 million litres.    

The Parliament was released in 2011 and is named after a colony (Parliament) of rooks that lives close to the distillery for around 200 Years. GlenDronach is known to have a reasonable quantity of older whiskies that were distilled before 1996, the year the distillery was mothballed. Production only resumed in 2002.

🍷  The Spirit:  

The GlenDronach distillery operates two pairs of Stills of which the Lyne arms point downward to create a full-bodied, Spicy and Nutty Spirit. The Water is sourced from the Dronach Burn.

🌲  The Wood:

The Parliament 21 Years matured in a mix of Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez casks. Based on the sweetness of the Whisky I assume that more PX casks were used or that the married Whiskies were finished in PX casks for a while. I do not have precise information on this matter so I'm guessing a bit here.

Drinking Experience: Good but quite Woody. 

Conclusion: There are lots of Whisky fans that love Sherry Bombs period. I like to find some balance between Sherry, Distillery Character, Maturation and Age. I don't find this balance in the 21 Year old Parliament. It's basically Sherry and Oak and that leaves this Single Malt on the Heavy, Musty, Dusty side. A bit of a One Trick PX Pony. And it can't be cheap of course. So in my opinion you are better of with the easy going 18 Years Allardice X-mas Cake or, even better, the old stubborn 15 Years Revival. Both are matured in Oloroso casks only and that seems to work better for the GlenDronach spirit, at least in my opinion.  

Jan van den Ende                                                                  January 4, 2018

“Happy New Year”

Another Year has passed by and it went really quick! Even if Mr. Donald Trump might tweet otherwise. I would like to thank all my readers for their interest and their reaction in the form of comments, requests, e-mails and samples. I would like to wish you and your families a very Happy and Healthy 2018. May the good Whisky Spirit always be with you. Whisky makes more friends than any other product does. Let's keep it that way! 

Cheers!

Jan

Edradour The Fairy Flag Review

“Sherry Christmas” 

Whisky Review # 671

Country: Scotland

Region: Southern Highlands

Brand: Edradour The Fairy Flag am Bratach Sith

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 15 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: Bourbon casks with Sherry Finish   
Chill Filtration: No     
Price Range: On average US$ 95 (December 2017). 
Buying Advice: 😔 At this price level go for Glendronach or Aberlour! 

Colour: Mahogany/Brown - Quite Dark (Natural Colour)

Nose: Powerful and Dark Sherry Notes including some Sulphur and Rubber that diminish over time. It's essential to give the Fairy Flag enough time in the glass before you start Nosing. Christmas is in the Air with Rum Soaked Raisins, Figs, Sultanas, Apricot, Dates, Mulled Red Wine and Christmas Spices. I also find Toasted Cereals, Buttered Toast, Brown Sugar, Treacle, Vanilla, Blackberry, Port Wine, Caramel, Lemon Peel, Orange Flavoured Dark Chocolate, Charred Oak and traces of Tea, Polished Leather and Tobacco. It's quite Sweet, a little Heavy and mildly Herbal. The Sherry cask influence is strong. It's not quite my style but it's not bad.   

Palate: Bitter-Sweet with Dusty Wine Cellar, Christmas Cake, Dried Fruits (See Nose), Blackberry, Raspberry, Salted Caramel, Toffee, Orange - and Grapefruit, Dark Chocolate, Toasted Cereals, Sour Apples, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Oak, Menthol, Sulphur, Tobacco, Polished Leather and Port Wine.

Finish: Middle-Long, Sweet, Malty and Nutty. Dry and slightly Bitter and Sour towards the end. The Sherry cask influence remains strong and I find Toasted Cereals, Dried Fruit (See Nose), Caramel, Treacle, Brown Sugar, Nuts, Dark Chocolate, Polished Leather, Tobacco, Perfumed Soap, Herbal Tea, Mint, Pepper, Nutmeg, Charred Oak, Cherry- Flavoured Cough Syrup, Sulphur and Acetone.       

Drinking Advice:

I added a little Water and that works quite well. The Fairy Flag gets less Dirty & Dusty and more Nutty. You should certainly experiment with a few drops here.  

Rating: 83      

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 20.5

General Remarks:

🏣   The Distillery and Today's Whisky:

The name Edradour was first mentioned in 1837 but the first Single Malt was  released in 1986. The success story started in 2002 when Andrew Symington bought the distillery from Signatory. Edradour was Scotland's smallest working distillery for many years but today there are more than 10 smaller distilleries. At the moment Edradour produces around 130.000 litres of which around 26.000 are heavily peated. The core range consists of  the 10, the 12 Caledonia, the 14 CS Sherry and the 10 CS Bourbon. We visited the distillery in 2014. The fact that it is located close to Pitlochry means that lots of visitors are in fact tourists who participate in organized trips. The place was crowded and there was a very commercial feel to it that I didn't care for. A pity, because the Distillery itself as well as the surroundings are very picturesque.   

The Fairy Flag 15 Years was released in 2015 to mark the release of a film that carries the same name and was made by Rory Mhor Nicoll and Peter Columbia. It tells the story of an epic romance between the Clan Chief of the MacLeod's and the mysterious Fairy maiden, said to have almost magical qualities. In the meantime the Fairy Flag has been discontinued. I bought a miniature bottle in a Cigar/Whisky shop in Heidelberg, Germany. When I opened the package today I noticed that around 15% of the contents have evaporated.

🍷  The Spirit:  

The Edradour distillery operates 1 pair of stills. The Lyne arms point downwards. The spirit is medium-bodied, Sweet, Malty, Nutty and Perfume-like. The water for this Farm Distillery is sourced from springs on Moulin Moor.

🌲  The Wood:

The Fairy Flag matured in Bourbon casks for 8 years before being transferred to fresh Ex-Oloroso Sherry casks where it matured another 7 years.

Drinking Experience: Interesting

Conclusion: I must admit that Edradour is not one of my favourite distilleries. I find their expressions a bit "unfinished", rough and dirty. And there are always some off-notes to be found. Having said that, the Fairy Flag is certainly not a bad Single Malt despite its flaws. Because it has some character as well. If you are into Sherry Bombs, this Edradour would serve you well except for the fact that it's more expensive than some of its direct competitors like Glendronach, Glenfarclas and Aberlour. So despite the fact that I have some sympathy for the Fairy Flag I can't really recommend this expression as it's too expensive. That might well be the reason it has been discontinued in the meantime.

Jan van den Ende                                                              December 26, 2017

All Pictures were taken during our Visit in May 2014

Caol Ila 18 Years Review

“All I Want For Christmas Is You” 

Whisky Review # 670

Country: Scotland

Region: Islay

Brand: Caol Ila 

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 18 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 43%
Maturation: Bourbon casks  
Chill Filtration: Yes     
Price Range: On average: US$ 125 (December 2017). 
Buying Advice: 😃 Must Buy. Very nice Single Malt. Too low ABV though. 

Colour: Golden Amber (Artificially Coloured)

Nose: Pleasant and Well-Balanced. Nothing aggressive to be found. The Smoke weaves a magic spell around the other Aromas. No Whisky smells as good as a mature peated Whisky from Islay. Love it! The Peat is there but it's Herbal and Grassy rather than Coastal. I also find Sweet Barley, Toast, Caramel, Vanilla, Toffee, Straw, Salted Pork Meat, Light Soot, Rubber and Diesel Oil, Iodine, Wet Rock, Apples and Pears, Citrus (Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit), Cinnamon, Pepper, Clove, Pineapple, Butter and traces of Leather, Licorice, Wet Paper and Tobacco.

Palate: A little Thin but again very Agreeable. It's not at all Complex but you just want another sip and another...It's basically Sweet with a few Bitter and Sour elements. Again, good balance! I find Toasted Cereals, Sweet Barley, nice Grassy Peat, Salted Caramel, Toffee, Honey, Vanilla, Marzipan, Pork/Bacon on the BBQ, light Soot, Ashes and Tar, Iodine, Mandarin, Lemon, Grapefruit, Pineapple, Apple, Cinnamon, Pepper, Nutmeg, Ginger, Menthol, Licorice, Toasted Oak and traces of Leather, Chocolate, Tobacco, Herbal Tea and strong Espresso. The Smoke is a beautiful misty flavour in the background.    

Finish: Bitter-Sweet, Oily, Creamy, slightly Sour and Salty. Pretty Good! I find Sweet Barley, Salted Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, Nutella, Floral Peat, Apple, Pear, Mandarin, Lemon, Grapefruit, Toasted Oak, Chocolate, Iodine, Soot, Tobacco, Leather, Dried Herbs, Menthol, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg and Cinnamon. Hints of Smoked Fish and strong Espresso. If anything, a little Thin. This would be great at 46% or even Cask Strength.        

Drinking Advice:

The Caol Ila 18 Years easily accepts a few drops of Water. It doesn't change the main characteristics although the Smoke does become more evident. Slowly add a few drops to see what it does for you.   

Rating: 89     

Nose: 22.5 - Taste: 22 - Finish: 22 - Overall: 22.5

General Remarks:

🏣   The Distillery and Today's Whisky:

The Caol Ila Distillery was founded in 1846 and is located close to Port Askaig on Islay. It was bought by DCL in 1927 and through some mergers is now part of Diageo. The distillery was rebuilt in 1974 and only one old Warehouse reminds us of former days. Traditionally, Caol Ila is an important component of Blends like Johnnie Walker, Bell's and White Horse. But during the last 10 years Diageo has made great efforts to position the Distillery as a Single Malt as well. Caol Ila is beautifully located alongside the strait between Islay and Jura. The Core range includes the 12, 18 and 25 Years as well as the NAS Moch. We enjoyed both our visits to the distillery in 2014 and 2017 respectively despite the fact that you're not allowed to take pictures.

The 18 Years was released in 2002. A non-peated version also exists. 

Visit May 2014 "That's the Spirit"

🍷  The Spirit:  

The distillery operates three pairs of stills. The Still room provides a magnificent view towards Jura. The Lyne arms possess either a straight or downwards angle. The fermentation time is 60 hours. The Spirit is full-bodied Medicinal and Herbal. The Water is sourced from Loch nam Ban. The Malt is peated to 30-35 PPM.

🌲  The Wood:

I have no official information on this item. Based on Nosing and Tasting I believe the 18 years matured in Refill Bourbon casks.  

Drinking Experience: Very nice.

Conclusion: I adore the Caol Ila 18 Years. It even beats the 25 Years although they share the same problem. And that's the fact that the ABV is too low in both cases. Both could have been really great whiskies at 46% or Cask Strength. The 18 is still very good though and I simply love the way how the Smoke in the background embraces all other Aromas and Flavours. It's a very nicely balanced Single Malt. It's a joy to take sip after sip. Today, Few distilleries have 18 and 25 years Whiskies in their core range. So Diageo, please reconsider the ABV of both the 18 and the 25 Years of Caol Ila. These whiskies fully deserve it and you would do the fans of this beautiful distillery a great pleasure. And that's what Single Malt should be about shouldn't it. To create the ultimate sipping pleasure!

Jan van den Ende                                                              December 21, 2017

Visit May 2014

Ardbeg Dark Cove Review

“Not So Dark a Cove” 

Whisky Review # 669

Country: Scotland

Region: Islay

Brand: Ardbeg Dark Cove 

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: NAS

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46.5%
Maturation: A Mix of Bourbon and Sherry casks. 
Chill Filtration: No     
Price Range: On average: US$ 175 (December 2017). 
Buying Advice: 😒 Negative. Better stay with the core range!

Colour: Golden Amber (Natural Colour)

Nose: Quite different from your average Ardbeg. It's quite Introvert and Soft and the Smoke is a background Aroma. On the Nose, the Dark Cove is Sweet with a few Mineral- and Meaty notes. I find Toasted Grain, Buttered Toast, Sweet Peat, Vanilla, Treacle, Honey, Caramel, Citrus, Leather, Meat or Bacon on the BBQ, Wet Sand, Peanut Butter, Dark Chocolate, Pepper, Ginger, Clove, Salt, Cinnamon and Soy Sauce. The Sherry casks are represented by Dried Fruit like Dates and Sultanas and some Nuts. And finally I find traces of Plastic, Rubber, Iodine, Tar, Band-Aid, Leather Polish and Green Apple. It's a Young Whisky and the Alcohol is quite noticeable. At this price-level I would have expected a more outspoken Aroma profile. It's very Laid-Back, almost Lazy! 

Palate: Quite tame delivery despite the seemingly adequate ABV. I can see that the Committee Release at 55% would be more adequate. I find Toasted Cereals, Salted Caramel, Burnt Toast, Honey, Charred Oak, Dried Fruit, Apple, Smoked Meat, Citrus, Dark Chocolate, Espresso, Pepper, Licorice, Menthol, Ginger, Hay, Sweet Peat, Soy Sauce, Tar, Ashes and hints of Leather and Tobacco.  

Finish: Quite Long, Bitter-Sweet and Medium-Dry. I find Toasted Grain, Toffee, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Charred Oak, Espresso, Strong Black Tea, Licorice, Honey, Pepper, Nutmeg, Clove, Ginger, Dark Chocolate, Menthol, Earthy Peat, Ashes, Soy Sauce, Bacon on the BBQ, light Tar and Burnt Rubber, Dark Red Fruit and Dried Herbs. The Sweetness is slightly Artificial and a bit unpleasant after a few sips.        

Drinking Advice:

Added Water does not improve the Dark Cove. 

Rating: 85.5    

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 21.5 - Finish: 21 - Overall: 21.5

General Remarks:

🏣   The Distillery and Today's Whisky:

The current Distillery was founded in 1815 by John MacDougall close to the little town of Port Ellen on the island of Islay. In 1997 the distillery was bought by The Glenmorangie Company (part of French based Moet Hennessy) from the previous owners Allied Distillers. This company closed Ardbeg between 1981 and 1989 and only produced yearly during 2 months between 1989 and 1997. As a result, Ardbeg is lacking older stocks and is almost forced to launch Limited Editions while maintaining a very limited core range that consists of the 10 Years, the Corryvreckan and the Uigeadail. Like Glenmorangie, Ardbeg likes to experiment with Wood, Toasting and NAS expressions.

The Dark Cove refers to the illegal distilling and smuggling that was so common  in the old days on the isle of Islay and often happened in hidden coves and on remote beaches. It was launched as a limited edition to celebrate Ardbeg Day 2016 that was held on May 28 of that year. A special Ardbeg Committee release of the Dark Cove bottled at 55% was released as well.

🍷  The Spirit:  

Ardbeg possesses only one pair of Stills with tall necks and rising Lyne arms that create lots of Reflux. A Purifier is connected to the Spirit Still that takes out the heavy Vapours and guarantees a Lighter and Fruity Spirit. The Water for the Spirit is sourced from Loch Uigeadail.

🌲  The Wood:

There is no official available information on the casks except for the fact that it's a mix of Bourbon casks and Dark Sherry casks. Based on Nosing and Tasting I would say that the Dark Cove matured in refill Bourbon casks (Jack Daniels) and perhaps as much as 15% of heavily seasoned Oloroso/PX Sherry casks.

Drinking Experience: Good but I expected more based on Marketing and Price Level.

Conclusion: I am a Big fan of Ardbeg's core range and the Uigeadail is still my favourite Whisky. I'm not extremely excited by their special editions though. I applaud the fact that they are doing their best to create something "new" each time but I always come to basically the same conclusion. The core range is better and less expensive. I realize that many collectors and speculators love these special Ardbeg editions and they are usually sold out in no time. And, to be frank, the Dark Cove is not at all a bad Single Malt although it has its flaws. But in my opinion you are way better of with the core range if you like Ardbeg!

Jan van den Ende                                                              December 18, 2017

Talisker Dark Storm Review

“Storms Over Skye”

A Bit of History.

On September 15, 2013, I reviewed the Talisker Storm. Here are the Tasting Notes I wrote back then:

Country: Scotland

Brand: Talisker Storm

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Region: Highland - Islands - Skye

Age: NAS

ABV: 45,8%

Colour: Light Gold

Nose: With a name like this I would have expected impressions of Briny Waves full of Foamy Salty Water breaking on the rocks and screaming white Seagulls fighting the Dark and Rolling Thunderclouds above the Isle of Skye. In reality, the Nose of the Storm is not much more than a gentle Breeze of (Tropical) Fruits like Banana, Apricot and Pineapple, Honey, Salted Butter, Malt, Pencil Shavings and Orange Peel in combination with some Leather, Dusty Earth, Wood Smoke, Pepper, Ginger, Mint and hints of BBQ and Band-Aids. It's clear that there are some young spirits included in the Storm and the Alcohol is not completely embedded. When compared to the Talisker 10, the Storm has perhaps a tad more Peat and Salt. 

Taste: On the Thin side despite the relatively high ABV. It is quite Dry and Salty and presents a light Bitterness that could be a result of relaxed Wood Management. I find light Wood Smoke, Dusty Peat, Brine, Grass, Malt, Wax, Leather, Nuts, Honey and Pepper. It's not as diverse as the 10 Years but perhaps slightly more balanced.

Finish: Medium Long, Dry and Salty with (Chili) Pepper, Wood Smoke, Oak, Peat, Ginger and a touch of Honey. Rather forgettable. It's in the Finish that the Storm clearly loses the battle against the 10 Year.

The Talisker Storm does not accept Water very well despite its fiery name.  

Rating: 84,5

Nose: 21 – Taste: 21.5 – Finish: 21 – Overall: 21

Conclusion: The Talisker distillery is part of Diageo. And Diageo takes marketing very seriously. Talisker sales have boomed during the last years. And everybody knows the word-wide success story of Johnny Walker Blue despite it being overpriced and overvalued. But let's go back to Talisker. With the Ten Years they have a standard OB that's quite good although quality has dropped a bit over the years. I would not be surprised if increasing demand for the 10 years was threatening supply. So a short-term solution needed to be found. And that solution could well be the NAS Storm that was introduced with the usual quality marketing of Diageo. Great packaging and presentation that will certainly please potential buyers. "Bring on the Storm" the propaganda screamed. To me this Single Malt seems to be the temporary assistant of the 10 years until supply and demand of the latter are back in balance. But let's go back to the intrinsic quality of the Storm. When compared to the Nose of the 10 years, the Storm is slightly more Peaty and Salty but also younger and a bit edgy. On the Palate the Storm is actually quite smooth but shows less character than the 10 Years. And while the Finish of the 10 years is something you will remember for the rest of your life, the Finish of the Storm is smooth but quite forgettable. All this leads me to the conclusion that, while the Talisker Storm is not a bad Single Malt, it is actually not much more than a Storm in a Teacup!

Very recently, one of friends travelled abroad and on the way back brought me a bottle of the Dark Storm, bought at the Sao Paulo Airport Travel Retail Shop. I am very curious to see how it is and how it compares to the Storm. So Let's go!

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Whisky Review # 668

Country: Scotland

Region: Highlands - Islands - Skye

Brand: Talisker Dark Storm 

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: NAS

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 45.8%
Maturation: Heavily Charred Bourbon casks. 
Chill Filtration: Yes     
Price Range: Around US$ 70 (December 2017). 
Buying Advice: 😐 Neutral. Not bad for a NAS! Still prefer the 10 Years!  

Colour: Dark Amber with shades of Orange (Artificially Coloured)

Nose: Smoked Kipper, Sweet Earthy Peat and Bacon are my first impressions. For a moment Lagavulin 16 Years popped up in my mind. It's a relatively Young Whisky but apparently the extra Charred casks absorbed a part of the harshness that is characteristic for young peated Malts. The Alcohol is noticeable though so you need to work your way around that. This Whisky could have been made on Islay because I find Iodine, Tar, Band-Aids and Brine. But there's enough Chili and Pepper there that screams I'm Talisker! I also find Sweet Barley, Toasted Cereals, slightly Burnt Toast, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Brown Sugar, Wax, Yeast and Dusty Attic. The Fruit is represented by thick Warm Apple Sauce, Mandarin, Raisins, Lemon and Orange. Finally Menthol, Leather and traces of Tobacco, Soy Sauce, Banana and Dark Chocolate. It's not bad but it's nothing special either and the Sharp Alcohol bothers me a bit.

Visit May 2017

Palate: Bitter-Sweet and Dry with a few Sour notes towards the end. I find Toasted Cereals, Salted Caramel, Dusty Peat, Yeast, Iodine, Tar, BBQ, Vanilla, Heather-Honey, Nuts, Orange, Lemon, Red Berries, Ripe Apple, Raisins, Leather, Tobacco, Pepper, Nutmeg, Ginger, Licorice, Menthol, Dried Herbs, Charred Oak, Espresso and Dark Chocolate. 

Finish: Quite Long and better than the Storm in this aspect. Still, it's a Young Whisky and there are some Sharp and Raw edges here. Rusty Iron came to my mind. I also find Toasted Cereals, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Almonds, Mandarin, Orange, Heather-Honey, Apple, Grapefruit, Charred Oak, Pepper, Nutmeg, Clove, Ginger, Aniseed, Licorice, Earthy Peat, Floral Soap, BBQ and Dark Chocolate. On the Finish, this Dark Storm is Bitter-Sweet and Quite Dry. A few Sour notes as well. The Alcohol remains noticeable. After a while a Strawberry note appears out of nowhere.    
Drinking Advice:

I added a little Water and that takes care of the Sharp Alcohol. The Dark Storm accepts a few drops although you do meddle with the character of this Malt. 

Rating: 84.5   

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21.5

General Remarks:

🏣   The Distillery and Today's Whisky:

The distillery is located in Carbost on the Isle of Skye and was founded in 1830. The current owners are Diageo. Despite the remote location, Talisker receives lots of visitors and the Shop and VC were recently refurnished. We visited the distillery in May this year and it was crowded! We didn't like the Tour a lot. You are not allowed to take pictures and mill and casks can only be seen behind glass. You can't get very close to the stills as well. It was nice to have a close look at the wooden worm tubs outside. The subsequent Tasting was really nice though and we spend almost an hour in a separate room tasting six different Taliskers. If you're on Skye you should certainly pay Talisker a visit.

The Dark Storm was released specifically for the Travel Retail market in 2013, a few months after the introduction of the Storm. Dark Storm was launched as the peatiest Talisker! In the meantime you can buy it on line as well.

Tasting during Visit May 2017

🍷  The Spirit:  

Talisker operates two wash stills and three spirit stills. The Lyne arms of the wash stills make a peculiar U bend that increases the contact of the spirit with the copper. The fermentation time is long. The stills produce a lightly peated full-bodied Spicy and Peppery Whisky. The Water is sourced from the Springs on Cnoc Nan Speirag just above the distillery.

Visit May 2017

🌲  The Wood:

The Dark Storm matures in selected heavily Charred casks to create extra Spice and Smoke. I have no specific information on the type of casks used and the colour does not give us any clues as a hand full of Caramel was added. Based on the Tasting however I conclude that Bourbon casks were used. 

Drinking Experience: Good

Conclusion: I just noticed that I gave the Storm and the Dark Storm the same score. Does that mean they are basically the same Whiskies? No, not at all. The Storm is merely a gentle Breeze and an easy going Single Malt. The Dark Storm has more character and is far more Raw and Edgy. Both are quite Salty when compared to other Taliskers. Both Storm and Dark Storm have something in common though. They are both young Whiskies and pale when compared to the  Show stoppers of the distillery, the 10 and the 18 Years. The latter one remains my favourite Talisker and in fact one of my favourite Single Malts.      

Jan van den Ende                                                              December 14, 2017

Visit May 2017