whisky review 452 - Talisker Distiller's Edition 2013

A decent modern Talisker !
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[@krenarkabashi958]

My first Talisker was the DE, i love this whisky. Lately i found a DE 2017 for 49 Euros, and bought 5 of them, now i will never run out of this whisky.

[@thudly999]

Always a pleasure, Ralfy.My weekend isn't complete until I've had a dram with you. Many thanks!

[@diamondcutmusic]

Excellent stuff Ralfy, thanks for your consistently good reviews.

[@jabbathebum]

My wife and I are planning a trip to Scotland in May of 2015 so the tip about your nasty little bug friends is much appreciated!

[@galenwolf]

Thanks for the tip Ralfy! My dad and older brother are going on a whiskey holiday this summer, so I think your tip is going to come in handy. We get midges in Northwest England especially were people have planted conifers, they're vicious little buggers.

[@Ownedyou]

Finally a Ralfy video! Now I can cap off the weekend.

[@TheOneGlassMan]

Great review Ralfy. Talisker DE is, IMO, one of the most successful peat/sherry whiskies, together with HP 18 and Ardbeg Uigeadail. Cheers.

[@johncarder819]

As an American, the term "anorak" means a waterproof jacket to me. So, I looked it up. Here's what the Oxford Dictionary states: "British • informal, • derogatory A studious or obsessive person with unfashionable and largely solitary interests:" That is funny!

[@thewhiskybothy]

correct !

[@BOB2112420]

Found a bottle of Distiller's Edition 1987 in my Grandfather's basement. There's only half left, but I'm still going to try it out.

[@supremegandalf]

How was is it? Still drinkable?

[@mirqo9685]

Talisker 10 is probably the most avaliable Talisker around the world and is still quite decent whisky, maybe not so fascinating as it used to be but still worth trying..well, thats just my opinion :-)..Thx Ralfy!

[@touretul]

Talisker 10 is my favorite whisky so far, on par with Bruichladdich 10 I guess. I find them similar but with some muddiness on Talisker, which I like.

[@gavinbrownlie1006]

Another great blog Ralfy I have moved from Talisker10 to Talisiker storm a lttle more spicy with less kick look forward to your blogs every week and looking forward to the Glasgow whisky fest this month Geebee

[@Ownedyou]

I've had a great experience so far with multi-matured "distiller's reserves whiskies". "Glenlivet Master distiller's reserve" was top notch.

[@guillermobarrios6692]

Great review Ralfy, thank you very much. This is one of my favorite whiskies after Lagavulin 16. I am now trying Talisker Storm as I am writing this comment.

[@kubr1ck36]

Looking forward to your next outdoors vlog, Ralfy.!!

[@jelliamesott1]

Best intro yet, Ralfy. Well, there it is. Just an opinion.

[@josephralls]

Thank you for another insightful, and awesome whiskey review! And thanks for the mention ralfy!

[@rayraymond2952]

You mentioned that Avon "Skin So Soft" repels the highland midges. I live the New Orleans area and have had business in the Louisiana swamplands. From personal experience, I know well that in the southern Louisiana swamps and along the US Gulf Coast, Skin So Soft is a preferred and long time (many decades) used repellant to the biting mites and chiggers, plus mosquitoes from these warm/hot areas. Yes, Skin So Soft is a fine insect repellant. Indeed, I'm going to have to visit Scotland soon to visit those wonderful Scotch distilleries and try to repel those vicious midges.

[@PSUK]

Hi Ralfy. First time I've watched any of your vids. Re your Talisker Distiller's Edition tasting comments....I concur 100%. I'll be taking a look at your other posts. Sláinte!

[@birstallblue]

Thanks for the review ralfy. Seen one distillery on the Edinburgh / Glasgow line. And one small football ground.

[@Mooseydog]

Ralfy, Another great review. The thing I always find intriguing is that you always have a pearl of wisdom. Gotta love it! Since you are on Distillers Editions, what is your opinion of Oban Distillers Edition? My wife has been very kind and for my birthday she gave me the Balvenie 21 year Portwood. On the actual day of my birthday we were dining in a restaurant two stores away from a liquor store. The lady who owned the store recommended Oban Distillers edition even above Amrut which she personally loved. After trying the Oban distillers edition I cannot disagree with her adoration. Very pleasant in my opinion, but having your thoughts would mean a lot.

[@shugaroony]

Ralfy is bang on about the midges; we don't really get them on the East coast of Scotland (so much), but on the West coast they are horrendous. My old boss hailed from Skye and he told me how he always used to go to school with a bag on his head due to the persistance of these little buggers. There can be literally thousands and thousands of them in every square metre if you hit a bad spot or are near streams.

[@castello544]

Nice tip on the midgies! Great review. Now I want to visit. I'll be knockin on yer door. My Ralfy accent is perfected :)

[@alexlegionario88]

Ralphy congrats for your works from italy! I'm almost a novice in whiskies but I find your review very intresting Cheers!

[@jamessane714]

my favourite whisky so far... very smoky and yet overwhelmingly intense taste :) .. I had an opportunity to this beautiful dram in Edinburgh few months back and since fall in love with it

[@dutchy7482]

did the tour 1,5 weeks ago. Our guide was by his own admission new and read from his notes. In the the warehouse he pointed out the sherry casks and told us that this is for the distillers edition "10 years in bourbon casks and 10 years in the sherry cask" I think he is wrong because that would make it a 20 years old.... Probably 10 months in sherry... Also that only a small % of Talisker is used for blending... methink it is the reverse... I love Talisker, been on Skye manier time. The distillery is not facing the Atlantic, but Loch Harport... One last comment..... (more general on UK taxation); in NL we can buy a .7litre 10 yr old Talisker for the equivalent of ukp 21....... try that in the UK....

[@cattleprods911]

This Scotch seems undervalued, great job Talisker.

[@romandubrovin4813]

Picked this up at a bargain at my local store. Have to say its a great scotch, Lots of banana and walnut for sure not as much sweetness as in the 10 year old, however the development and the finish are a bit longer. Would i buy it again? Probably not. Save the 20 bucks and go for the Ten year old.

[@Wayfarer8]

Hello, Ralfy. Thank You to continuing this whisky story from review to review. When I have money, I always looking for a bottle, to take the same way :-) I want to ask you about Suntory bottles (probably you have couple of them in your collection). There's a sign on the bottom of the bottles with the years on it. Is that an age statement? I saw whiskies with the sign 8, 11, even 2. If it's so, then it will be interesting to buy a different versions and compare them. Unfortunately, all the whiskies now become extremely unavailable in Russia, because of the almost criminally high prices. I hope, that You will answer, because my decision is depending from this information. I found no information about it on the official site.

[@stephenlucas5002]

Hi Ralfy You gave the previous Talisker Distillers edition 90/100 so this latest version seems to have suffered a significant step-down. I also notice that in your rev-review of the Talisker 10 it dropped from 89 to 86. To what extent do you think this reflects a loss of direction at Talisker, or is it that you are getting more demanding as you accumulate different experiences and ever more knowledge ? Or a bit of both ? A really timely review as this whisky was on my radar to buy, so many thanks indeed

[@thewhiskybothy]

partly that Ia m more damanding, but importantly, general maturation quality across the Industry is declining due to inferior cask policy.

[@deanpereira5905]

Hello Ralfy! I would like to ask you a malty-amateur question! What is the most distinguishable flavor or characteristic of a young scotch or singlemalt ? and more important, how can we tell its quality? thanks for all the great reviews! greetings from Argentina!

[@FMichael1970]

Ralfy - how long has Talisker been aging their whisky on the Scottish mainland? In a way - I feel sort of cheated...As I sip malts such as Bunnahabhain, and Old Pulteney I like to think of the whisky aging in ex-bourbon barrels basking in the salty air along the coast...Adds character.

[@grimarkraka7784]

talisker distillers edition was the whisky who make me to love whisky cheers

[@ZachBeauvais]

Hi Ralfy, I enjoyed this one quite a bit, for its smoke and complexity. What I was wondering is whether any single malts matured in new casks (ie not in bourbon or sherry casks)?

[@triplecap4307]

I just opened this bottle this week. The 2013 that is. I think 86 is harsh - I was thinking 89 and I just opened it a few days ago. To each their own. PS. What is "applied sweetness"? I believe this is sweet, but whether it is "applied" or not I have no idea. PPS. I hate those midgies.

[@PeatSmokey]

Hello Ralfy! "Talisker Storm" has now hit the local shelves. Not going for it until I get some feedback one way or another. Is it a malt that you will be reviewing?? Thanks Peace

[@thewhiskybothy]

more of a breeze than a Storm, same with 'Dark Storm' . . . not on my review list.

[@TheJusnic82]

+PeatSmokey Here in Canada the 10 year old and the storm are exact same price and I really enjoy the storm a lot more over the 10. It is really a non age statement whisky worth trying

[@en3rgieboy]

+TheJusnic82 I'm in the same boat, talisker storm ($95) is actually the same price as the distillers edition ($98) where I live, also on par with the 10. But if I go to superstore liquore store can get talisker 10 for $73 haha so which one do you think I should go for? and how does the storm taste compared to the 10? cheers

[@groberti]

@@TheJusnic82 well this always depends on your subjective taste. many people don't really like the young spiky taste that you will most likely get in these young NAS whiskies. Some people like it because the youngness gives it a spiky kick. This is not true for all NAS whiskies, ie. Uigeadal doesn't taste as a super young NAS although it is a NAS

[@antoinem9411]

Ralfy, im surprised you didnt get the heavy Ham note which is quite promiment in my 2013 DE. Any plans on re-reviewing Ardbeg 10?this thing sells like crazy im not even sure if i should buy a contemporary version or play it safe and pay double the money for an L8 bottling or earlier.

[@PeatSmokey]

Ralfy this is a ques taken near to the absurd but just humour me for a minute. Does the the "osk cask requirement" include specific liquids/spirits that dictate a certified acceptable ex-fill content? Like can it be a non spirit like aged root beer cider or even cola, for that matter ....as the pre filled existing content of said cask. Interesting. Peace

[@thewhiskybothy]

no reason why not, previous cask content is not statute, only that oak casks not exceeding 700 litres are used.

[@frostfang83]

Whiskey review and advice on skin repellant for Scotland, love it ralfy

[@petergodwin2874]

In Ralfy we trust.

[@geneirvine9710]

Very good review

[@williamwalton5663]

Ralfy, I am sure others must have asked the same but do you ever do reviews of supermarket own malt whiskies? I note that Jom Murray speaks really highly of Sainsburys speyside and islay malts. Yours, William

[@thewhiskybothy]

some reviews happening later this year !

[@antoinem9411]

Hey Ralfy do you plan an Ardbeg 10 re-review? my local retailer has some earlier L8 coded bottlings in his backroom(for double the price ofc).Is a contemporary bottling nearly as good as the old ones?im quite spoiled with my 2005 version.its the best official 10yo whisky i ever had.(that might aswell be due to bottle ageing)

[@thewhiskybothy]

yes, later this year.

[@hess6wi]

Isn't Glengoyne closer to Glasgow than Auchentoshan?

[@bbasidium7018]

Ralfy, Bruichladdich’s “The Laddie Ten”. Mmmmmmmm. As a new fan of Scotch, I was attracted to Bruichladdich by the beautiful roll of its name. As an American, I was interested in the renewal of this distillery’s history and the new owner’s obedience to the provenance of the spirit. I loved the Bruich 12 Second Edition, PC6 and PC7. When the September 2011 release (ten year anniversary of our 911) of Laddie Ten I just had to take my journey in that direction. I loved it. Meanwhile the PC’s had evolved into much more expensive spirits, the ultra-expensive Octocrap, and the new Portapotties. I liked the standard, renewal of the old Bruichladdich. Now that the Laddie Ten is gone? So is any purchase in the USA of the NAS crapola from the new multi-national owners who ruined the spirit of Bruichladdich. RIP. My dollars are going to genuine Single Malt Scotch Whisky aged accordingly in the time old fashion. Let me put it in clear brutally honest American terms: You can take your NAS and shove them where the sun doesn’t shine. I can buy USA whiskey with NAS every day for much less. You gave up your return to Scotch history for a buck. We all lost.

[@Malt454]

Very well put. While there may be other selling points for some NAS-labeled expressions (cask strength, pronounced sherry or peat finish, etc.), there’s no reason to pay premium prices for Scottish pig-in-a-poke bottles over those of any other country if none of the producers are willing to simply tell you how old it is and the best information you can get is internet guesses and rumours - and the scotch industry should realize this. Whether it's well or poorly executed in terms of cask availability/selection, the duration of age maturation DOES matter to the final product and knowing that duration matters for that reason - and this was something that the industry itself knew before the bean counters wanted to start selling amalgams of cheap young whisky as premium-priced products. The industry now simply doesn't want to talk about age in cases where there's none to talk about with NAS - THERE it's somehow immaterial - but still uses age as a basis for premium pricing on older bottles. So just how unimportant IS age, anyway? I don't see anyone selling me a Macallan 30 for the price of a heavily-sherried NAS because the colours are comparable! Reject NAS labeling - whether the product's old or young, one of the things you should get for your money is product information.

[@antoinem9411]

Malt454 "Reject NAS labeling - whether the product's old or young" I support that.only NAS i have in my cupboard is Auchentoshan Valinch,because i was genuinely interested and it was only 39 Euros.other than that i dont even look at bottles with nothing on the label but mystic names. also i never understood the point of not stating an older Whisky's age.I got the excellent Buchanan's 18yo and thought about getting Red Seal.However, online people claim its 21 years old which if true would make the Whisky much more attractive for buyers,yet they dont say so nowhere on the Label.if your whisky is 21 years old,whats the reason to hide it?

[@Malt454]

Antoine M Prior to giving up NAS-labeled bottles, I also tried Valinch, and I think it's a good product and a good value - but that would be the case at the same price regardless of the label it bore. And that's why my problem isn't with NAS products, it's with NAS labeling: the whisky itself might be great or crap, but I don't know why it's none of my business to know the age of what I just bought. I don't think that there are many older whiskies where their age is not used as a selling point, which is why I'm skeptical of ANY claims that large, much less pure, concentrations of old whisky are being sold without age statement. Red Seal's a 21, or contains 21, or contains HOW MUCH 21? A selling point on Snow Phoenix was that it contained Glenfiddich 30, but no one talked about the concentration of the oldest element - just that it "was in there". By the same token, there's an urban legend, repeated on the West Wing, that Blue Label contains 60-year-old scotch - all great for sales that such theories are out there, but never confirmed by Johnnie Walker, and never legally binding on anyone, which is all very convenient. People can believe it if they like, particularly to convince themselves that they're not being ripped off and to impress their friends, but it's a guarantee that's not worth the paper it's not written on.

[@chrish12345]

Good point, also look at the way they say 'amaroso cask wood' for this Talisker - this seems like legal-ese for using rehashed standard barrels rather than proper, whole casks. Like Ralph, I would be very wary of going back to this one and many others (not all) following the extraordinary greedy yet blatent strategies the industry has embarked on in the last couple of years, which now seem little more than a mad death-run. Their reputation is in shreds as far as I'm concerned.

[@Malt454]

chrish12345 Exactly, and "single cask" is another term the industry uses to suggest quality - but it has no legal definition of it as it applies to scotch. There is no mention of the term in the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009, and the Scotch Whisky Association is only a voluntary trade organization, so its ideas on the subject aren't binding as to what can and can't be labeled "single cask".

[@agalvayne]

Greetings ralfy, an Aldi near me has a rather interesting looking own-brand 30 year old blended scotch in stock at the fairly modest price of £50. It's called Glen Orrin 30, or something like that, I was wondering if you'd heard anything about it or had sampled it and had any thoughts about it?

[@thewhiskybothy]

probably worth the cost !

[@lol12345886]

It's not, imo it's had 30 years in 10th refill casks.

[@charlesdovigi6749]

Anyone else get a Turkish delight taste on the palate? I'm tasting the 2014 love this scotch

[@golfguy777]

Hi Ralfy, what are your thoughts on other Talisker bottlings? Are there any worth looking out for?

[@thewhiskybothy]

standards vary !

[@ATolsk1]

I have an unopened 2012 version. Hope it will do a bit better than this one here.

[@claychains]

Majestic malt masters

[@msilv8335]

I've never tried a Talisker. What would you recommend a a first bottle from this distillery?

[@castello544]

I'm rather inexperienced but my memories say burnt wood that has gotten wet with tire juice :( I had the cheaper Talisker stuff and not used to the peat I think. I will try something like this if it isn't over $50

[@z1reticuli]

talisker is maybe the best whisky, go for it!!

[@thewhiskybothy]

kubr1ck36 the one Iv'e just reviewed.

[@joethebar1]

I personally love their take on peat. I like the briny and seaside notes. Probably my favourite scotch

[@Magnusverm17]

hi ralfy did you try Nestville wiskey ? thank u :))

[@thewhiskybothy]

not yet !

[@FMichael1970]

Ralfy - any thoughts on the NAS Talisker Storm?

[@thewhiskybothy]

more breeze than storm.

[@quintonvaughn5711]

+ralfystuff Horrendous Score buddy.

[@anihilist460]

Can't wait to crack open my bottle.

[@someonesdad5986]

Ralfy if you are ever in South Georgia(not the island near Antarctica) but rather the state named for that Hanoverian fella what ruled England, BRING THE SKIN SO SOFT! It was all we used growing up to keep off sand gnats. They must be the meaner more vicious cousin of the midge. They make mosquitos look like a bunch of Johnny come latelies who ain't trying hard enough. My grandma always had Skin So Soft. She didn't have any other Avon products, but we had barrels of SSS. By the way, if you ever do make it to my hometown of Savannah, drop me a line and I'll put you right to legitimate things to see as someone who grew up here and loves my city.

[@thewhiskybothy]

. . . I have taken note of your advice !

[@RadioLaboratory]

Ralfy Hey. gud1! Do u kno wher th mijyz 'fit in' along th food chain? R ther not enuf birds frogs n such 2 feed on them as a food sorz? If they hav no redeemn qualtyz Y r they alowd 2 exis jus 2tortr unsuspectn malt halnz lyk us? L8r m8

[@anthonylambert4523]

A review from back in the day when Ralfy didn't bang on from start to finish about e150 and chill-filtering and just enjoyed the flavour of a dram.. Of course it's probably better when a Whisky is naturally presented but coloured and chill filtered Whiskies can be very tasty and worth engaging with.Shame your outlook has changed so much and you are these days so negative about any whisky that is not an "integrity" dram !!

[@aferguson850]

1:13 Some people smell more than others

[@PeatSmokey]

Hello Ralfy. Thanks! but little thanks to those "malty malevolent midgies" Peace

[@ADSCP]

Bought one of these for €56

[@lexxraven]

One hater drinks Jacky on the rocks.

[@limezy2]

aw naw not the midgies ! many a horror story about them

[@ion1984]

First!!

[@Seppe2242]

First! :)

[@thewhiskybothy]

. . . verified !

[@Seppe2242]

First! :)