my latest drams

I like the Talisker 10 a lot. It has been on my list of favourites for quite a few years, along with Lagavulin, Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Caol Ila -- you get the idea. I'm a peat freak.

They all have their distinct characters, but what distinguishes the Talisker from the others is the peppery effect on the tongue and palate, especially in the finish.

I picked up a Talisker 18 year old the other day and just cracked it last night. It won't replace the 10 for me, but I'm glad I took a chance on it. It's mellower than the 10, with sweet fruity tastes -- apricot, especially -- dominating the early flavours. The island character -- some smoke, a hint of peat -- emerges later on the tongue, and it has a good long finish with the peppery character finally asserting itself.

Quite enjoyable, complex, not cheap.

I like Highland Park 12, but it leaves me wanting what's missing. I keep thinking, this is a nice malt. If it had more smoke and more peat, it would be a great malt. So I go back to my island malts.

Not to say everyone has to drink it with peat. If a highland style malt with just a hint of island character suits you, Highland Park is great.

cheers.

bill

I guess I'll take the other side. Highland Park is one of my favourite drams. The 12 yr is a wonderfully balanced whisky, with some peat, smoke, honey/heather and vanilla. The 18 yr is a good whisky, but not usually worth what most places are selling it for. I picked some up in New Brunswick for about $78 Cdn last year, and it is worth it at that price. The LCBO wants $119 Cdn for the same whisky here in Ontario. Ouch! The 25 year is out of my price range, but I have tasted it once, and it was wonderful. Sorry I can't be more specific than that, but I didn't make any notes.

Talisker is a drink I just can't get used to. I did have it one night last winter after being out in the cold for a couple of hours, and I found it tolerable in that situation. The flavour I call iodine and others call medicinal is something I just can't get past, and I find that flavour in Laphroig and Lagavulin as well. I don't find it in Bruichladdich, Ardbeg, or Caol Ila, so I enjoy them instead when I want an Islay. Still waiting to taste the Distiller's Edition of Talisker just to compare.

So Robert; Bill and I have given you two different opinions, so hurry up and taste them and report back with your opinion! So many whiskies, so little time! :-)

Doug.

IMHO opinion Talisker is slightly inferior to Lagavulin and Ardbeg, but the equal to the other Islay malts. I am currently working my way through a 10yo

Highland Park is unique in my view. It's an island style malt, but is also equal to the vast majority of Speysides. I currently only have the distillery bottled 12yo 40% and find it a superb dram, plenty of heather and a trace of honey. nice long finish.

Roger

What is the taste of heather? I want to see if I can detect it out when I have a dram...

Sounds like you should try a bottle of 15 yo Dalwhinnie.

I can't post that I agree about the Iodine / medicinal taste - I'll get ripped to shreds again for being such a pleb!

OD

Well. How to describe a taste. I'll try, but no guarantees! :-)

It is a sweet smell/taste that makes me think of fields of wild flowers, heather in particular, that are in bloom and the scent is coming through the air even though your are a good ways back from the flowers.

Hope that helps. I find whisky tastes different depending on when or where I drink it, and my mood, the weather and so many other things. That's part of the fun, really.

Cheers! Doug.

I have a bottle, and it used to be my favourite, but I rarely bring it out these days. I don find the flavours too light and uninteresting. If I want a lighter scotch, I'll reach for a Glen Livet, or perhaps a Glenmorangie, which I find more enjoyable.

Doug.