Neist Point (Source: commons.wikipedia.org)

Neist Point Lighthouse (Source: commons.wikimedia.org, Attribution: John Allan)

Such a beautiful looking place! Anyways, let’s see what Talisker respectively Diageo has to say about the Talisker Neist Point, which I am paraphrasing:

Using some of the distillery’s rarest and smoothest stocks, Talisker Neist Point has a more ‘elegant’ and ‘smooth’ character, showcasing the broader flavor range and complexity of this award-wining island malt.

Now this made me chuckle, because probably the last thing I personally want from a Talisker is “smoothness”. But it gets even better. Because in case you were wondering why this bottling comes without an age statement but with a pretty hefty price tag (the RRP is £115 / $179 / €147), here is the answer:

Research shows that duty-free whisky purchasers are more concerned with taste (and smoothness), than age or price.

I think that this is a very oversimplified, if not downright ridiculous, generalization, although I am not your average duty-free whisky purchaser for sure. I mean yes, if you would ask me “Yo Chris, what’s the most important to you: taste, age or price?”, my answer would be probably: “To me, the taste is the most important thing without a doubt, because if I don’t enjoy the whisky in front of me, age and price don’t mean a thing. BUT age isn’t just a number for me, especially if you want me to pay a lot of money for your whisky. So if you want to go further down that NAS route with a new luxury bottling in order to become the most sold single malt whisky in the duty-free sector, give me at least a little bit more to work with.”

Facts

Talisker Neist Point

Nose

Soft, smooth and pretty fruity at first. Apples, pears and white peaches with custard, alongside caramelized cherries and soft touches of oranges and bananas. Then a BBQ party at the beach: sea salt, bonfire, embers and ashes, barbecued salmon and smoked oysters. The only thing I am really missing is the signature peppery touch.

Taste

Initially very soft and sweet, with only a light peated smokiness. A delicate balance between caramel with sea salt and black pepper corns. The spiciness gets less after a while and makes place for apples, apricots and oranges, together with vanilla pods and some cinnamon. Gets creamier towards the end.

Finish

Long. Soft and warming with a honeyed sweetness. Lingering coal smoked joined by dark chocolate and some wood ashes. And yes, there is also a tiny bit of pepper, but no real ‘chili catch’.

Overall

Much to my surprise, I have to admit, that the Talisker Neist Point, though grossly overpriced, is indeed very good! Could be more edgy for my taste, but I really liked the smooth, appealing, harmonic and elegant character of this expression.

Score: 87 / 100