TALU Smoked Mezcal Cask 8 Year Old English Whiskey, 70cl

The TALU Smoked Mezcal Cask is the boldest of their three whiskies, and the most unusual. The same rye, barley and maize spirit is matured in level-four charred American white oak, then finished in first-fill mezcal casks from Oaxaca. TALU also proofs it down with mesquite-smoked water, which is how it reaches its smoky character without peat.

What the mezcal cask and the smoke bring is depth rather than a coastal, medicinal peatiness: roast agave, barbecue embers, caramelised pineapple and lime zest over a base of malted rye, with a long, smoky finish of mesquite, leather and cacao. It is bottled at 46% Alc., natural colour and non-chill filtered.

This whisky is especially suitable for drinkers who already enjoy smoke and want something different from a peated Scotch, or for anyone who likes their whiskey with an edge alongside food, particularly anything off a grill.

"This is a whiskey for the adventurous and a great example of what English Whisky can achieve that our siblings over the border may not! The Mezcal cask delivers a sweeter, more tropical smoke than the peatiness of an Islay - there is a very attractive hickory note that is not overpowering, but rather gathers momentum as you sniff. If you like smokiness in your whisky you should try this; if you find the bolder Islay whiskies too overpowering, but want something with an element of bonfire spiciness, this is worth trying. Perfect as a curveball in blind tasting or as a talking point!"

TALU is a modern English whiskey brand built around grain mash bills and first-fill cask finishes rather than the Scotch single-malt template. Every expression is matured in charred American oak, finished in a hand-selected cask, and bottled at natural colour, non-chill filtered.