OB 20yo 1982 58.8% Bourbon cask - Talisker

[Gilles Deleuze]

I haven't been posting much recently since I moved to France and, hence, far away from most of my whisky, but I knew I owed you all some notes on this wonderful bottle. These notes are from the last dram, actually:

Nose: Rich, even several months after opening. Light sea air, brine, and something carbonated...like Coca-Cola, actually. There's also that appley smell that I love in any Talisker. Next is something deeper, earthy and far more austere. The whole is almost like a Laphroaig that takes itself very, very seriously. A little burnt sugar now, having had 15 minutes or so to sit.

Mouth: Peppery, tarry, but somehow slightly sweet. Wonderfully vibrant, even for the last dram in the bottle. Mouth-filling and medicinal.

Finish: Long and peppery and bitter. Very Talisker, but rich, formal and austere. Like Talisker in a three-piece suit. Just wonderful.

Comments: I bought this bottle when TWE were selling it for 60 pounds on special and when the pound had reached a low point against the dollar, and I can say the value here is incredible. This was a bottle I was saving for a special occasion, and it more than lived up to its reputation! I've heard great things about the sherry cask version, but if you can't find that one (and who can?), you might want to give this a try. It's excellent.