2009 Talisker 11 Year Old "Old Particular - K&L Exclusive" Single Hogshead Cask Strength Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky

We've bought this same whisky from Douglas Laing a number of times. The price has increased unfortunately, but so has the age -significantly. The 8 year olds we've sold before were wonderful, but they were obviously brash youthful. Now the whiskies are nearly 12 years old, distilled in November of 2009, and showing a much more developed style from this special distillery on Skye. At first, it's surprisingly shy. The nose has a pureness, a very linear smoke and saline quality with hints of green olives, lemon preserves and salted fruit, but the moment it hits the palate you realize that there's an extreme amount of flavor hidden behind the 120 proof. Rich and waxy on the palate with tons of lemon and a smoldering salty smoke. Now with a good dollop of water we start to see what's really going on here. Extremely ocean. Salty seaspray, oysters, vintage cars, pure lemon oil, the cleanest ash. On the palate it's not relaxed at all. Instead more of everything. Big rich, spicy, lemon, salt, oils, some olive, diesel engines, thunderbolts. I don't know what is happening here, but its an absolute palate crusher, even though it's not the smokiest thing in the world. This will scare some people and others will simply let this take them for the ride. This is the Hampden of Single Malts. Totally into it.