Talisker Dark Storm Single Malt Scotch Review & Tasting Notes

 

Peated Scotch is most associated with Islay. However, peat is used to heat malted barley in Scotland's five regions. That statement, of course, leads to much discussion - does Scotland have five or six regions? Officially, there are five, according to the Scotch Whisky Regulations. Those are Speyside, Highland, Lowland, Islay, and Campbeltown. The sixth is unofficial, called Islands, which includes every Scottish island sans Islay. Legally, the Islands is part of the Highland region.

 

One of those islands is called the Isle of Skye. Until recently, there was one and only one distillery on Skye, and that is Talisker. Since then, there have been two others: Isle of Raasay and Torabhaig. 

Talisker was founded in 1830; it remained productive until 1960, when a fire destroyed it. The owners quickly rebuilt, going as far as to duplicate the original stills, and then resumed production. It is currently part of the Diageo portfolio.

 

"From the rugged western shores of the Isle of Skye comes a richly flavored, maritime malt, with a warming afterglow. So easy to enjoy, yet like Skye itself, so hard to leave." – Talisker

 

Originally released in 2013 as a Duty-Free exclusive, Talisker Dark Storm is basically Talisker Storm, aged in heavily charred oak barrels instead of vintage oak. Dark Storm is a single malt Scotch, meaning that the whisky is distilled 100% malted barley, and while it carries no age statement, it must, by Scottish law, be at least three years old.

 

Dark Storm is packaged at 45.8% ABV (91.6°), comes in a one-liter bottle, and can be had for $57.00.

 

A friend gave me a sample of this Scotch, hoping I would review it. Who am I to disappoint? Let’s #DrinkCurious.

 

Appearance: I poured this into my Glencairn glass to sip neat. Inside, the liquid was bright and brassy. It created a bold rim with thick, watery tears.

 

Nose: Smells of smoke, barrel char, bananas, apples, brine, and vanilla wafted from my glass. When I drew the air through my lips, my mouth found oak.

 

Palate: Dark Storm’s texture was thin yet velvety. I encountered flavors of vanilla, smoke, and bananas on the front of my palate. The midpoint included pears, strawberries, and orange rind. The back featured barrel char, black pepper, and brine.  

 

Finish: Creamy vanilla, black pepper, salt, charred oak, strawberries, and smoke formed a longer finish. The pepper lasted the longest. It was slightly warming. I clocked the duration at 1:42.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Let’s start by saying that I enjoy Talisker whiskies. I thought Dark Storm was a lovely pour. My issue is its price. I get that something this exclusive can command a hit on the wallet. Yet, when I look at Talisker Storm, which is, on average, a third of the cost, I have a rough time saying that this is well worth the investment.

 

Before committing to anything further, you’ll want to try Dark Storm at a Bar. Cheers!

[EDIT TO ADD]: My friend indicated he paid $57.00 for his 1L bottle and even showed me his receipt. Based on that, I'm changing my rating to a Bottle. Cheers!

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.