Review #155 - Talisker Storm
One of the earlier examples from the new wave of NAS scotch popularity - Talisker Storm, a whisky that the brand wants us to know is made by the sea, and came about in 2013. In comparison to other Talisker expressions, Diageo claims that this specific malt was made to be the 'dark, smoky, more brooding member of the Talisker family.' They want us to look for wood spice and brine notes when we taste it, and presumably a slightly stronger peat influence than the typical 10 Year.
Cask types in this whisky are undisclosed, though we found hints online of 'refill' and 'rejuvenated' casks in the mix; strength is that classic 45.8% that we get with most Talisker whiskies. Again, there's no age statement, but rumors around the time of the release speculated that there was some very young whisky in the mix, as well as some quite old whisky; given the price point and Diageo's current pricing strategies, we're guessing there isn't much old stock left in here.
Talisker Storm
Scotland/Highlands - Single Malt
Price Paid: USD 45 (2021)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 71 (2023)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 45.8% ABV
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 15 months; bottles at 100%, 90%, 50%, and 40% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Relatively peaty and coastal, with salt and some mossy rotten wood, like a damp bog; there's dry wood, too, hidden in the background. Vegetal, a bit of seaweed, but then lighter fruits of lemon and pear, maybe a hint of stone fruit. There's a significant heather or fresh hay scent, along with hints of vanilla and white pepper; we end with guava and orange.
Palate: Medium-thin mouthfeel, and a pretty mellow palate overall. Mild to medium peat levels, with some salt and a bit of peppery spice. Simple ex-bourbon flavors of oak and vanilla, maybe a hint of lemon sorbet, before more wood spice comes in the forms of cinnamon and anise. There are fruits like green grape and prune, but those are very mild; a bit of honey lingers later.
Finish: Medium length, mostly due to the peat, as some of the other flavors dissipate earlier. There's sweeter fruits of cherry and stone fruit, heather and honey, and a decent amount of citrus - moldy lemon, lime sherbet. Plenty of vanilla as well, along with that lingering hint of pepper spice.
Final Note: Not bad, but the mouthfeel and mild complexity failed to deliver a more powerful or interesting experience. It's a pretty easy sipper, or 'smooth' if you like that term, once you get past the peat smoke at the front. This is a little more expensive in our area than the Talisker 10 Year, and we would probably slightly prefer the 10 Year over this.
Our Average Rating: 6.4 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.68
Check out our other Talisker reviews:
