Stogie Spirits: Talisker 10 Year Single Malt Scotch
28 May 2009
Ever wondered what peat tastes like? Scotch is often described as having “peatiness,” but an exact description of the flavor is hard to come by. It seems some things are easier to taste than to describe, and that’s where the Tasliker 10 Year Single Malt Scotch helps out.
The Talisker 10 Year is dominated by peatiness, which makes it a Scotch that not everyone will like, but some will love. The peaty flavor comes from the distinctive terrain that surrounds the Talisker, the only Scotch Whisky distillery on the Isle of Skye in West Scotland.
Talisker, located in Carbost, has been making Scotch since 1830. The distillery, which is owned by the spirits conglomerate Diageo, makes Single Malt Scotch with ages varying from 10 to 30 years.
The Talksker 10 Year is the youngest Talisker single malt available and is available for $35-40 for a fifth. It has a golden amber hue and a vibrant nose filled with peat, pepper, and vanilla.
On the palate you get more of the distinctive peatiness, with plenty of salty ocean flavor and an underlying sweetness. The finish is deep, peppery, and tapers off to a meaty charred flavor.
It is a great scotch to pair with a cigar, but not any cigar can stand up to the intense flavors of the Talisker. I’d suggest going with a strong, full-bodied stick with plenty of pepper, earth, or cedar.
I enjoyed the Talisker with the Padilla 1932 and the Cubao. I’d also recommend the Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Especial, the Rocky Patel Vintage 1992, or the EO 601 Serie Oscuro.
No matter what cigar you choose, you’ll find the Talisker 10 Year Single Malt to be a distinctive pairing. While that distinctive peatiness isn’t particularly approachable for the novice scotch drinker, those who love powerful,peaty single malts will find the Talisker 10 to be a little slice of heaven.
photo credit: Stogie Guys
Patrick Ashby
Co-Founder & Editor in Chief
Patrick Semmens
Co-Founder & Publisher
George Edmonson
Tampa Bureau Chief
Really like Talisker with a DPG Cuban Classic. They seem to compliment each other nicely.
As a suggestion, try my favorite Scotch with cigars from mild to Camacho strong: Highland Park 12 yr. Best of all, it is grossly under priced for its quality!!!
My choice for a real peat monster is Laphroaig…that green bastard is strict, indeed. I do love the Lagavulin as well.
Talisker is, however, one of my all-time favorite scotches, and I am almost never without a bottle in my house. It does have some peat flavor, but it adds a gentle buttery feel to it that mediates the bite and creates a smoothness that I just haven't found elsewhere. A supreme neat sipping whisky. (I will admit I have to slip an ice cube into the Laphroaig.)
Oh, and if you like the stringent peat whiskies, check out Ardbeg. It's great, and not too popular, so it's pretty cheap ($35 a bottle or so in some DC stores).
I have found that the most peaty scotches hail from the Islay region with Lagavulin being one of the best and most peaty. Right now, I am enjoying some 15 y.o. Abelour, which is not so heavy in body and pairs well with medium bodied sticks such as a Hoyo Epicure No. 2.