Talisker 15 (2019 Special Release)
After reviewing a couple of 2020 limited release whiskies in my two most recent reviews (Ardbeg Blaaack and Laphroaig Cairdeas), it’s time to take a step back to a special release from last year—Talisker 15 Year Cask Strength from Diageo’s 2019 special release lineup. I actually started writing this review about 10 months ago, but never got around to finishing it, for whatever reason. Laziness, I suppose. Fun fact: if you take a close look at the picture of the bottle above, you’ll notice what appears to be some blurry Christmas lights in the background. That’s actually my Christmas tree sitting just inside my front window. Maybe not the best picture to encapsulate the spirit of this whisky, but it’s what I’ve got, so I’m running with it.
Cask strength Talisker is a beautiful thing. Some of the absolute best whiskies I’ve ever tasted have been older cask strength bottlings from the Isle of Skye distillery, such as the 25 year old expression which used to be cask strength (now it is sadly bottled at Talisker’s standard ABV of 45.8%). As I mentioned the last time I reviewed a Talisker single malt (the 2018 special release 8 year old), Talisker’s powerful “made by the sea” coastal vibe simply screams for a higher ABV than the typical Talisker 45.8%. After the success of that 2018 special release, Diageo once again included a cask strength Talisker in their 2019 special release lineup, this time a 15 year old version. Hooray!
The bad news? For the second year in a row, the Talisker special release was not made available in the US. Ugh. Thank goodness for online whisky retailers who ship overseas. Thankfully, Diageo is righting that wrong soon, as the 2020 special release includes another Talisker and it will be available in the US. More on that later.
According to the label, this 15 year old single malt was matured exclusively in “freshly charred American oak hogheads” (probably ex-bourbon, although there’s no mention of that). The label does not mention whether or not this whisky is non chill-filtered or natural color, but thankfully it doesn’t wreak of either of those monstrosities. So that’s a start. Knowing Diageo, it probably is lightly chill-filtered and might have a drop of e150a colorant. But not so much as to cause much harm. Let’s take a closer look.
Talisker 15 Review
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Region: Highlands (Islands)
Age: 15 years
ABV: 57.2%
Nose
Big and powerful, typical Talisker nose, with an added blast of sweetness. Reminds me of walking along the boardwalk on the New Jersey shore when I was a kid, with notes of vanilla fudge, caramel popcorn, salt water taffy, bubble gum, salty sea breeze, and sea-washed wood. Chocolate mint candies (Andies). Black pepper. A hint of peat. Something that reminds me of Play-Doh (oddly enough). Cherry syrup. Wonderful.
Palate
Spicy and sweet. Loads of salt and pepper (in a good way). Moderately oily texture. Complex, with a wide range of flavors—I find different notes every time I taste this whisky. One sip it’s key lime pie. The next is cherry cordial. Then sweet vanilla cream and light caramel sauce. Brown sugar, white chocolate, dried mango, banana liqueur… so much going on. The peat smoke is a bit more evident than in most Talisker expressions, although it’s certainly no peat monster. Just a wonderful balance of flavors.
Finish
Long and spicy. More salt and pepper. A bit more peat smoke. Lemon peel. Lime juice. A spicy sort of mint… almost like rye whiskey. A bit floral. Roasted oak. Simple syrup.
Overall
Fantastic. Other than a few 25 year and older cask strength Talisker expressions (which are some of the best bottles of whisky I’ve ever tasted period), this is the best whisky from the Isle of Skye that I’ve had. And at such a reasonable price for the quality (around £110, not exactly cheap, but compared to other similar whiskies, it’s really quite reasonable)! If only this was a core release and readily available.
SCORE: 9/10
Final Thoughts
The only bad thing about this whisky is that it wasn’t made available for sale in the US. What’s crazy to me though is that it’s still available (at it’s original price) from several of the major UK online whisky retailers. Considering how most limited release whisky like this sells out quickly, and how high the quality is in this bottle, I’m pretty shocked that it’s still available nearly a year after its release. I might have to buy another bottle.
Diageo recently announced their 2020 limited release lineup, which happily features a Talisker once again. This time it’s back to an eight year version like in 2018, but aged in rum casks. Interesting. And this time it’s coming to the US! I can’t wait to get a bottle.
Buying Advice: If you’re a fan of Talisker, I consider this bottle a must buy (as long as the price remains reasonable). It’s simply delightful.
Questions about my scoring system? Refer to the Review Method & Scoring Scale page.
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