Talisker 10

I have a weakness for Talisker. It's one of those whiskies that just appeal to me due to the taste profile, and, I admit, the marketing. Only distillery on the Isle of Skye has an exclusive ring to it. The "king of drink" title bestowed by a literary giant helps too. I like to tell myself that it's primarily the taste and feel of the drink that I like, and the marketing is just a nice veneer. But these kinda things work subconsciously...

Talisker 10 (45.8% abv, which is the Talisker standard nowadays)

Colour - Gold. I suspect this one has been chill filtered, and colouring added. 

Nose - Rather inconsistent from sniff to sniff. On the whole, there are whiffs of pepper, a hefty dosage of salt, a bit of alcohol sting, and some faint hints of coconut, oak and even fainter suggestions of vanilla. Peat comes across as well, though it seems to come and go. Some smoke too, but, like the peat, it isn't an ever-present.

Palate - Peat, smoke, oak, some hints of coconut. There is some vanilla sweetness as well, but in the Talisker 10, it's a little hard to find. The 18 is a lot more forthcoming with its sweetness. But when it hits, it's like the peat and smoke suddenly clears, you've unexpectedly stepped out of the peat bog into an oasis of sweet vanilla, as if everything has been building up towards this moment of sudden sweet clarity...and then the pepper, smoke and peat engulfs you again. Sweet momentary respite, but not for long. 

Finish - Talisker's signature black pepper finish, and the pepper in this is quite hot. Smoke lingers, as does some peat. The oak is barely discernible, but I think there's some caramel colouring left right at the end, within bearable limits.

Overall - One of the first few whiskies that I really liked. As mentioned in my review of the Talisker 18, this one is not as accomplished as the Talisker 18, but I think it is more value-for-money.

Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie

Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie Scottish Barley (50% abv) - This one was sipped at Harry's Bar at Novena Square, in the middle of a trying week at work. Heard good things about this from JE. Let's see how good it is.

Nose - The glass wasn't ideal for sniffing, so I'm probably not getting the most out of this. Lots of ripe apples. Almost caramelized, in fact. Vanilla. Some wood in there too. This is very nice. Almost like a good Speyside, until the whiffs of sea breeze rise up to meet you. This is an Islay's, after all. I think there's some peaches among the apples. Or maybe honey dew, or rock melon.

Palate - This is very nice! A smooth continuation of the nose, with an added spice kick, rather more like ginger than pepper. Hardly any alcohol burn, which is really pleasant for 50%. This is good stuff. Very good for an entry level NAS whisky, essentially. Smooth, sweet, fruity, well-balanced, low on alcohol burn. I'm impressed.

Finish - A touch of smoke. Unpeated, but this is slightly smoky. And I'm one of those who will say that there's a difference. A bit more of that ginger-like spice, and the oak lingers a bit. I think this should be considered a short finish, but there's enough in there to keep it interesting, and to keep the drinker continuously sipping.

Overall - Not a world beater, but there's space on every shelf for something so balanced and good at an entry level. Maybe I'll try to find a bottle, after I finish my Oban 14, which is developing very nice orange notes, after sitting half empty in the cupboard for a couple of months. Yum.

Hakushu Distiller's Reserve

It's been a busy week, so I'm pulling out an old tasting note on a new whisky - the Hakushu Distiller's Reserve.

The Distiller's Reserves from Hakushu and Yamazaki are meant to become the new entry level malt for the two distilleries respectively, replacing the 12-year-olds that used to be their entry level offering. Reception has been pretty mixed for both. Some see it as a watering down of good, aged whiskies to feed a burgeoning market, while others see it as a welcome step to make good single malts more accessible, both in terms of quantity and price. Both DRs claim to contain some old whisky. That may well be true, but a simple tasting will reveal that the DRs are much younger than they are old. If only distilleries reveal average ages of the whiskies that go into the final product...

The 12 -year-old Yamazaki was fairly accomplished, while my impression of the DR wasn't as good. It felt like an uncomfortable blend, something trying to be both young and old at the same time. There were some touches of older Yamazaki, but somehow, that took the effervescence off what could have been a good, young Yamazaki without really adding the benefits of age.

The Hakushu Distiller's Reserve, on the other hand, was much more to my liking.

Hakushu Distiller's Reserve (40% abv)

Colour - Light gold, very close to straw

Nose - Young whisky indeed. The alcohol is prickly on the nose. With some time, the nose starts to develop. The forests that you can find in the 18 are here as well. In fact, it seems fresher. The Hakushu 18 smells like pine sap. This one smells like the forest, untouched. Pine, green, unripe pears, and the crisp smell of clear mineral/river water.

Palate - the alcohol is sharper than in the 18, like it was in the nose. But that's to be expected. Pine leaves, mineral water crispness, and some earthy notes too. Not sure if I would describe that as soft peat or soil, but something from the ground, basically. A little bit of lemons; sharp but citrusy. And, surprisingly, a sudden, quick flash of the mature oak and ripe pears more associated with the Hakushu 18. This flash of maturity disappears quickly, and the young age of the DR reasserts itself.

Finish - Short, and a little prickly. Spice and alcohol leaves its mark, but disappears quickly. This is a pretty short finish, with a little more alcohol burn than spice. Some oak at the back just before it goes down and disappears.

Overall - I like this. The Hakushu DR, if drunk and tasted in its own right, is good and enjoyable. It isn't in the same style as the old Scotches, of which the Yamazaki is probably closer in style to. But I would say that the Hakushu feels more like an attempt at Japanese whisky with a Japanese twist in its flavour. More Japanese green tea and less English Breakfast, if such a comparison is appropriate. I like this, and it's fairly affordable too.