This post has only one purpose: I bought a bottle of this Talisker 25 Year Old back in 2007 (when prices still allowed you to buy a blind bottle once in a while) and I’ve never got the chance to taste it. Now I bought a sample and could find out if it was a smart purchase. Thanks Jeroen.
Talisker 25 Year Old is a classic and in 2006 it was still bottled at cask strength, whereas the latest version (bottled 2011) was brought down to Talisker’s traditional strength of 45,8%. It was matured in refill American oak.
I suppose this (almost) yearly release is now finished and replaced by randomly aged special releases like the recent Talisker 27 Year Old 1985? It’s perfectly possible that the crisis of the 1980’s brought lower production and provided insufficient stocks to maintain strict 20/25/30 statements.
Talisker 25 yo
(56,9%, OB 2006, 4860 btl.)
Nose: in fact this equals the complexity of the 27 Year Old. Relatively fruity (quinces, damsons, hints of passion fruits) before the peat arrives – gently and balanced. Some floral notes even. Some lovely dusty, earthy notes in the background. Walnuts and cinnamon. A faint Brora-esk waxiness. Coastal hints (seaweed, damp wood) and ethereal, medicinal notes too. Very subtle vanilla and lemon if you add a drop of water.
Mouth: very powerful, assertive and slightly sharp. Peaty and peppery, with lots of liquorice and lemon. Really salty. Plenty of smoke and rooty notes. Hints of coffee in the background. Then the fruits emerge: apples and raisins. Growing spicier and hotter. Again not unlike some Brora.
Finish: very long, with deep smoke, spices and zesty lemon.
Personally I may not have paid enough attention to these 20yo and 25yo expressions of Talisker. They are so beautiful. I bought mine for € 120 (a lot of money back then) – now easily € 300 if you can find one. I wish I bought more.
Score: 91/100