Talisker 8 years old Special Releases 2021 / 59,7% / – Special Releases is a limited edition range of whiskies released each fall by Diageo. The series was introduced in 2002 and highlights the best and the rarest malt and grain whiskies from the company portfolio bottled at natural strength. The 2021 release included eight single malts – from the oldest of the bunch 26 years old Lagavulin to the youngest, Talisker 8 years old. The release is called ‘Legends Untold’ and labels feature magical creatures, such as elves and dragons; each bottle carries QR code, which when scanned will bring illustrations to life. Talisker 8 years old was aged in “heavily peated refill casks” (the blending team tested a parcel of Talisker casks for the phenol levels in the matured spirit and selected those with the highest phenols content).
Nose: smoky and briny, sea water, wet rocks and sand, malted barley, green bananas and apples, white pepper, lemon peel and whiffs of peat smoke.
Palate: peat smoke, lemons and limes, white pepper, licorice, touch of aniseed, salted peanuts, some orchard fruits, dash of brown sugar and oak.
Finish: fairly long, with notes of peat smoke, sea breeze, sea salt, pepper, hints of fruit and oak.
