I know I should have had the 18yo Isle of Skye blend in this tasting, but as I tried it just about 6 months back, and I found it hard to recognize any Talisker in that tasting. So I hope the younger ones I will be tasting today will have more of the smoky Talisker-style in it. But first of all, let's try something that I think is a first for me... A whisky liqueur... and I'll try giving it a fair chance of a good score although I'm not warming much to the idea of blending whisky in liqueurs.
Stag's Breath Liqueur 19.8%
It says its made of "Fine Whisky and Fermented Comb Honey Liqueur". Sounds like something old ladies would nip after a dry biscuit with some veggies in aspic. The color is nice, amber red, the nose is floral and sweet, not bad, reminds me of some honey wine that I purchased in a street fair in Hamburg, Germany, a few years ago. The taste is all on red apples and mango. Far from as sugary and thick as I'd suspect. You know, those old liqueurs that sticks like cling film to the roof of your mouth because of the heavy sugar content. This, I must say, is fresh and fruity, and while I cannot sense any whisky at all it's a fresh and fine liqueur to be served chilled on a hot summers day.
I won't score this one.
Auld Skye NAS 40% The Scottish Collection Edinburgh.
So, are there any Talisker involved in this blend? The name certainly suggests so. I think this is a rather old blend, probably from the 80's. Pale golden whisky. The nose shows there's floral notes, certainly some hints of Lowland ingredients, the grain part perhaps, and then there's also some hints of highland freshness, but not much Talisker yet. Small whiffs of peat and spice comes along after a while of breathing. It's a playful whisky for a 40%abv NAS blend, with more layers than what's usual for such a dram. The taste is like chalkdust and glue. No, thanks, this is not for me. Perhaps a small drop of water can help it just a bit? Water makes it a tad sweeter, but not much better. Stay away from this one!
Foul, one of many contributor's to the bad blend-reputation amongst malt-drinkers?: 1
Isle of Skye 8yo 40% Macleod's
Oddly, this seems much darker than the 12yo that I'm about to taste next, so 4 years younger and much darker, could this one be colored, or is it more older/darker/sherried whisky in the mix here? The nose is big, reminds me immediately of the subtle sherry notes that I usually find in the 18yo OB. I There's more peat in this than the Auld Skye, and even the 18yo IoS as I remember it. The taste is thick and peppery, extremely peppery, not unlike the pepperiness that I often find in younger Taliskers, but it lacks a bit of punch. I wish there'd be more coastal and spicy character to this, and more peaty notes on the palate. Time to try with some water. Now it turns sweeter, but also more spirity. Could there be some Tobermory in this one? I'm sorry, but this one just frustrates me, and I think there's one component (or more) that just cripples this otherwise fine blend. Could a higher bottling strength have done it more justice?
Like a ferrari without an engine, there's something massive missing here: 2
Isle of Skye 12yo 40% Macleod's
A more pale and "natural" color on this one. The nose is much fresher than the 12yo, more salty, more coastal, much more like Talisker, or even Bruichladdich, lightly peated, a wee bit spiced and salted and lots of nice coastal notes such as seaweed, fish stock, sea salt, smoked haddock, beautiful stuff. The taste is lighter, fruitiness, vanilla, honey, strawberry fruit gum, interesting. If not the best blend I've ever had, certainly one of the most distinctive ones. This is in single malt territory for sure. Makes me think of some unsherried indie HP's or Tobermory's or even Arran BC's. This is very good, not by any means perfect, but if you are ever to have a blend to compare single malts with, this could easily be one or your best choices.
Ian Macleod, drop the E150, bottle at CS, and keep the 12yo like it is: 6
Edit:
Isle of Skye 18yo 43% MacLeod's Private Stock #45
So, this one is tasted 2 days later, but since it's from the Isle of Skye range I might as well put it in here. I hope 3% more and extra aging will make this leap a bit in quality from the 8 and 12yo. Certainly much darker. Smells restrained, some old sherry notes way back in the background, but other than that a pretty tame whisky. The taste is caramel, wheat, licorice, a sweet treat that I think makes for an excellent aperitif to any hearty dinner. Really gets the tastebuds swinging. Although its on the more formal and light side of blend territory its a very smooth blend, and for that it deserves a high rating.
Nice and easy, a dram for every occasion: 6
Own blend
Just for fun, I've given myself a chance at doing some blending on my own. I know I'm far from a Richard Paterson, but hopefully, using my nose the best I can at putting together some blends and malt whiskies, and see if it could taste like some of the established blends out there? The components in the blend is as follows:
Long John blend 40%
Tobermory Treasure Blend 10yo 40%
Scots Grey blend 43%
King Edgar blend 40%
Ballantine's blend 40%
Glen Niven blend 40%
Something Special blend 40%
Isle of Skye 12yo blend 40%
Isle of Skye 8yo blend 40%
Scottish parliament 12yo 40% Single Malt
Speyburn 21yo 62.5% OB Single Malt
Cameron Brig 12yo 40% OB Single Grain
Well, the dreaded tasting notes then, remember, I haven't tried this one before up until now. The nose is rustic, drying, apple vinegar and cinnamon, very nice, much better than what I expected. The taste is spicy, a huge influence from the Speyburn, but I believe it lacks either some much peated whisky or some heavily sherried to put it a bit out of the blend neutrality which is now taunting it. And a bit higher strength wouldn't be refused. All in all I think I'd put this one in the middle of the road-range what blended whiskies are concerned: 3
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