Head to Head- Lonely Islands: Talisker 10 vs. Jura Prophecy

1. Talisker 10
2. Jura Prophecy

Maker

1. Talisker, Carbost, Isle of Skye, Scotland
   (Diageo)
2. Jura, Craighouse, Isle of Jura (joo-rah), Argyll, Scotland (United Spirits)

Region: Highlands- Island

ABV

1. 45.8%
2. 46%

Appearance

1. Pale gold with thin, quick, sticky legs.
2. Middle-aged copper (caramel coloring?) with thin, but also sticky legs.

Nose

1. Peat, smoke, your grandma’s medicine cabinet meets your grandma’s candy dish.
2. Intense bonfire smoke, but a bonfire with some unusual woods in the mix, maybe a little cedar. Behind all that, though, lurks a touch of chewy vanilla taffy.

On the palate

1. Full-bodied and creamy. Burn, then big sweetness. Very little sign of peat or smoke.
2. Medium-bodied. Burn and then that vanilla taffy comes in a big way.

Finish

1. A lovely light tingle on the lips, followed bydying cigarette or maybe disintegrating lump charcoal after grilling up a couple of pork chops. A hint of honeyed sweetness, but pretty far in the background.
2. Campfire the morning after the night it rained. The caramel/vanilla flavor is turned up pretty loud after the embers have finally died. Somewhere in the middle appears a chipotle chili.

Parting Words: The “Island” sub-region is such a mish-mash that I didn’t expect these two to have much in common other than their use of peat. They do have a lot in common, though. Jura Phophecy drinks like a louder version of Talisker, if that makes sense. Talisker is assertive, to be sure. Smoke and peat drive  and sweetness takes a back seat. In Prophecy all the amps are turned up to 11, even the sweet candy flavors. The result is jarring, but not unpleasant. Both of these are recommended, although Talisker 10 is more refined than Prophecy. But sometimes I like them loud and unrefined.