The new year is starting with a bang – whisky of the month with a great money-saving deal.

I’ll start with the Malt of the Month, as it’s a whisky that I tried and enjoyed back when it arrived, shortly after I started at The Whisky Exchange – Talisker 25 Year Old, bottled in 2011. The 25 Year Old has been an occasional limited release in Talisker’s line-up, and the 2011 marked a change – the dropping of the ABV from cask strength to 45.8% ABV like the rest of the range. It was the first Talisker 25 I had the chance to try and I was impressed – it’s more elegant and refined than the gutsy earlier releases:

TALISKER 25 YEAR OLD, BOTTLED 2011. 45.8% ABV

Nose: Honeysuckle, beeswax, fruity smoke, pineapple, lychee juice, carbolic soap and a hint of tomato.

Palate: Freshly cut boards, tropical fruit syrup, muddy peat, violets, juicy orange and light smoke.

Finish: Anise, light spice and sawdust, with lingering floral notes.

Comment: Elegant and reminiscent of much older drams [you can tell that I wrote these notes back in my less wordy days…]

We’re doing it for the impressive price of £180 all month – £50 off the normal asking price.

Bargain