Talisker 41 Years Old Bodega Series 50.7% 1978

Professional reviews

Words of Whisky (91)

Undoubtedly a fantastic whisky that ticks a lot of boxes. Complex, subtle, balanced, mature, elegant.
Nose
Elegant and gracious doesn't even begin to describe this. Notes of camphor and bung cloth, with a whiff of earthy bog myrtle and brine. There's just a touch of menthol, leather, old books and tobacco leaves. However, it does have a sweeter and somewhat fruitier side as well. There's some almond paste, apricots and sultanas for instance. Couldn't have asked for much more.
Taste
Soft notes of peat, tobacco and menthol, as well as paraffin wax. A touch of smoke, pepper and salt too, joined by gentle notes of beeswax, baked bananas, burnt toast and coffee beans, and even some liquorice.
Finish
Lingering pepper with notes of eucalyptus. Long.

BOW (92)

Whiskynotes.be

The Bodega Series focuses on the long standing connections between whisky distilleries and sherry bodegas. Apparently the Talisker archives proved they have already been buying sherry casks from Delgado Zuleta (one of the oldest sherry producers in the area) since their founding in 1830.

The second instalment is a Talisker 41 Year Old, bottled a few months ago. They turned to Delgado Zuleta again and used six Manzanilla casks this time, from the La Goya solera, their flagship wine and the precursor to Quo Vadis. In both cases you can assume the casks were very old, often over a century, only the age and type of the wine would be different.

Nose: slightly sharper, and it misses some of the exotic fruits. It’s more on apples, plums and banana, with a much bigger fresh side of mint leaves and salty top notes. Subtle hints of roasted nuts, vanilla cake and slightly more smoke than in the younger version. Old waxed paper. Interesting differences. Mouth: this one grows more gradually, with a sweet and slightly medicinal onset, growing to b

lack pepper, leather, baking spice and coastal notes. Salted caramel. Nutty notes. Apple peel. Finish: quite long, with smoky notes, pepper, orange peel and the return of the minty freshness.

This one is slightly less complex and misses some of the fruity magic. It does unfold theatrically on the palate though, with more coastal notes overall. What a pair