VinePair gave the peated whisky 93 points; Difford's Guide highlights smoke, sea salt and black pepper
Talisker 10 is the best-known single malt from the Talisker distillery, the oldest on the Isle of Skye, in Scotland, according to VinePair. It is a peated whisky, bottled at 45.8% ABV, and is owned by Diageo. We gathered what named critics and competitions have published about it.
At VinePair, critic Tim McKirdy gave Talisker 10 93 points, in a review from July 2021 updated in August 2022. He describes a strong smoky core, with subtle notes of seawater and a sweet, rich malt that adds complexity. For McKirdy, the whisky recalls a bonfire on the beach: the smoke is powerful but comes layered with sweetness and brine, which makes it interesting to sip slowly.
Difford's Guide, in a November 2017 review, describes a golden amber color and a smoky nose, with hints of pencil shavings, seaweed, green apple and a touch of baked banana. On the palate, the guide points to smoked fish, green apple, light sweetness, sea salt and pepper; the finish is long, with smoky malt and cracked black pepper. The verdict: an elegantly smoky and salty whisky, balanced by sweet malt and a meaty character.
At competitions, Talisker 10 won a double gold medal at the 2020 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and 94 points at the 2019 Ultimate Spirits Challenge, according to the whisky's page on Whisky Advocate magazine's online store.
According to Difford's Guide, the whisky is aged mostly in hogshead casks that previously held American whiskey. The 10-year-old has existed since 1989: until then, Talisker was sold as an 8-year-old, and that year it joined the Classic Malts collection.
For comparison, the Bebidário catalog also carries Laphroaig 10 anos and Ardbeg 10, single malts from Islay.
Sources: VinePair (July 26, 2021), Difford's Guide (November 15, 2017), Whisky Advocate (online store, October 7, 2026).
