Here,
lodged far from any neighbour in the small coastal community
of Carbost at the head of Loch Harport, is one of the finest
yet most remote distilleries of all. It was in 1825 that
came here from the smaller island of Eigg, first to bring
sheep to Skye, then to bring Skye's wild spirit to the world.
Leasing Macleod land at Carbost, the MacAskills built Talisker
Distillery in 1830 against the fiery protestations of the
abstainer and former parish Minister, the Rev. Roderick
Macleod, who declared this "one of the greatest curses
that... could befall it or any other place". However,
it wasn't long before their elixir was commented on more
favourably, by no less a writer than Robert Louis Stevenson.
These succinct lines appear in a poem which might have been
subtitled "A Simple Guide to Malt Whisky" - "The
king o'drinks as I conceive it, Talisker, Isla or Glenlivet"
The Scotsman's Return from Abroad - RL Stevenson
1880.
Stevenson's words clearly had their own effect. The workforce
quickly grew and Talisker became the successful enterprise,
which it remains to this day. But not everything ran smoothly
during the distillery’s history. In November 1960,
a simple lapse of concentration led to the leaving open
of a valve on the No. 1 spirit still, which was then still
coal-fired.
When the spirit reached boiling point a disastrous overflow
occurred onto the flames below and the resulting fire burned
down the still-room. The distillery was rebuilt fastidiously
around exact copies of the old stills. Today, its seductive
malt enjoys more adherents than ever before, many of them
introduced to Talisker’s™ charms by its place
among the Classic Malts.
Food suggestion: Enjoy Talisker™ with smoked
salmon, kipper fillets, grilled smoked mackerel and oysters
on the half shell.
Taste style: Complex. A rich dried fruit
sweetness, clouds of smoke, strong barley-malt flavours
and a peppery eruption at the back of the throat.
Courtesy of Talisker Distillery
TALISKER™
10 YEAR OLD
A wonderful award-winning Island malt bottled at above
average strength with a comforting smooth afterglow.
Strength: 45.8% ABV
Appearance: Brilliant
gold.
Nose: Peat-smoke with
sea-water saltiness, the liquor of fresh oysters,
a citrus sweetness.
Body: Full.
Palate: A rich dried-fruit
sweetness with clouds of smoke and strong barley-malt
flavours, warming and intense. At the back of the
mouth is an explosion of pepper.
Finish: Huge, long,
peppery finish with an appetising sweetness.
TALISKER™
18 YEAR OLD
The first regular bottling of an older Talisker™.
Time has rounded not tamed its might.
Strength: 45.8% ABV
Appearance: Amber.
Nose: Rich and fruity
– Victoria plums, greengages, perhaps dried
orange peel – with some butterscotch or rum
toffee and a thread of smoke behind. The smoke soon
advances into the foreground and the toffee note is
joined by a light mintiness. With water maritime characteristics
emerge – dry boat varnish, edible seaweed. Still
sweet; now with notes of iodine and the smokiness
of an un-struck match.
Body: Full. Pleasant,
smooth.
Palate: Sweet in front,
then more assertive, with a whiff of smoke. The development
is towards smoke, coal-tar and toffee.
Finish: Medium length.
Talisker’s™ characteristic chilli ‘catch’
in the finish is subtly present in the aftertaste.
TALISKER™
175th
ANNIVERSARY EDITION
TALISKER™ 175th
ANNIVERSARY EDITION
A one-off bottling to commemorate Talisker's founding
in 1830. A malt of striking contrasts, this scotch
whisky is soft and sweet at heart, yet austere and
impressive.
Strength: 45.8%
ABV
Appearance: Light
gold.
Body: Medium.
Palate: An immediate
sweet flash of coconut soon becomes medicinal, then
starts to smoulder. The smoke ignites into flame
then starts to dry. Water calms this down and out
come the maritime notes, alongside the embers of
a now-dead wood fire.
Finish: Becomes
increasingly spicy approaching the big, maritime,
robust and lingering finish. When dilute, increasingly
subtle and liquorous, but the smoke still drives
through towards the finish.
Tasting Notes Courtesy of Talisker
Distillery
TALISKER™
12 YEAR DISTILLERS EDITION
SINGLE MALT SCOTCH
TALISKER™ 12 YEAR
DISTILLERS EDITION SINGLE MALT SCOTCH
Like all of the Classic
Malts Selections Distiller's Edition, this Talisker
has been double-matured
in a second cask after the original maturation period
(in this case in an Amoroso Sherry cask). The experience
is older, sweeter and richer than the regular bottlings.
This Edition has a very special bitter-sweet harmony
where the peat softens on the palate to a rich,
sweet, juicy fruit finish.
Strength: 45.8%
ABV
Appearance: Chestnut brown.
Palate: Crisp peat
at first then softens to enormous richness in the
mouth. There's sweet, roasty malt with a heathery
dryness. The sherry notes keep back some of Talisker's
usual pepper. In its place is luscious, slightly
oily sweetness - with ripe, juicy fruit and vanilla.
Finish: Some very
deep cocoa notes, vanilla and lingering quite earthy
peat. An enormously chewable single malt, with sweetness
having the edge on dryness.
Tasting Notes by
Talisker
TALISKER™
25 YEAR SINGLE MALT SCOTCH
TALISKER™ 25 YEAR
SINGLE MALT SCOTCH
Appearance: Bright
olive gold.
Nose: Nose drying.
Seaweed and old oranges, with smoke in the distance
and some chalk.
Surprisingly fruity and juicy, although with clear
Talisker identity. With water almost soapy, a waxy
sweetness. Smoke still present, but now more fragrant.
Body: Firm. Slippery
smooth.
Palate: Sweet and
meek to start, with some acidity and saltiness.
Extraordinary flavour development. Becomes dry,
stony, minerally, dusty, toasty. Ground white pepper.
Chillies.
Finish: Medium to
long, slightly bitter, drying finish. Vegetal.
On the shores of Loch Harport, the village of Carbost is
home to Skye’s only distillery producing a wonderful
award-winning Island malt bottled at above average strength.
Talisker's™ soft, peaty process water is drawn from
twenty-one underground springs that rise from Hawk Hill
(Cnoc nan Speirag) beside the distillery. These same springs
have fed Talisker from the beginning. As its name suggests,
the hill is home to birds of prey, usually including Peregrines.
Today, 20,000 gallons an hour of cooling water from the
fast running Carbost Burn fill a traditional Talisker feature
- five wooden "worm tubs", located outside the
still house.
Talisker's two wash stills, carefully recreated after the
1960 fire, are unique. The lye pipes leading off from the
main neck are U-shaped, to trap vapours from the first distillation
before they reach the outside worm tubs, whilst a small
secondary copper pipe carries the vapours so trapped back
to the wash stills for a second distillation.
Faithfully following the original design, it is believed
that this double distillation ensures that all of Talisker’s™
rich, deep character is captured first time. So there is,
indeed, nothing withdrawn or reserved about Talisker™
- a fact confirmed for visitors whose first experience before
they take the distillery tour, is a taste of the malt itself.
Talisker™ embodies all the spirit of this rocky, storm-lashed
island and its strong, steadfast people. Skye's only distillery
this may be, but like the men of the island the malt has character
enough for ten.
Visitor Centre Manager:
Georgette Crawford
Opening Times
November to April
Monday to Friday, tours at 10.30am, 12.00am, 2.30pm &
3.30pm
Advanced booking advised
April to October
Monday to Saturday, 9.30am - 5.00pm.
Last tour 4.00 pm
July and August also open
Sundays, 12.30pm - 5.00pm
Last tour 4.00pm
Christmas & New Year 2008/2009
Limited opening, please contact for details
Admission
Adults: £5.00 / This charge includes a £3 discount
voucher which is redeemable in the distillery shop towards
the purchase of a 70cl bottle of single malt whisky as well
as a taste of the Talisker 10 years old Single Malt.
Children 8ys-17yrs: £2.50
Children under 8 are not permitted into production areas.
Admission is free to all Friends of the Classic Malts.
This whiskey reminds me, with just a hint, that it is a long lost cousin of Lagavulin, Laphroaig, etc. It doesn't have the "iodine" taste of the Islay whiskies but it has a slight smokey taste like the Islay whiskies. To me it is a very smooth island Scotch without bowling you over like the Islay whiskies do. I think Lagavulin is an excellent whiskey but the iodine taste and the heavy smokey flavor can be overwhelming. Talisker is a much smoother whiskey with a subtle hint of some of the Islay taste characteristics without the overwhelming iodine and smokey taste.
ICUPhysician
Posted 134 days ago
Very unusual, smoky nose and body although not quite so smoky as Laphroaig; very very sweet and fruity nose and body, warm finish which is often described as ‘peppery’. Not an everyday Scotch… a going out to supper Scotch; a treat in other words. Quite distinct from your standard Speyside single malt, much closer to an Islay but friendlier albeit a bit more complex. Quite unique!
Ron
Posted 356 days ago
Outstanding with unique flavor.
Henrique Miguel
Posted 439 days ago
The best I ever tasted, very good smell and a perfect graand final!
Joanne Bergstrom
Posted 704 days ago
Talisker 10 year - This is an intense Scotch! Nose is very strong - the smell of salty sea air is obvious. Lots of smoke and wood - it's very warming. There are hints of sweetness. The finish is LONG. Part of Classic Malts' description states "...a peppery eruption at the back of the throat..." - I could not find any words more perfect than these!
Here,
lodged far from any neighbour in the small coastal community
of Carbost at the head of Loch Harport, is one of the finest
yet most remote distilleries of all. It was in 1825 that
came here from the smaller island of Eigg, first to bring
sheep to Skye, then to bring Skye's wild spirit to the world.
Food suggestion: Enjoy Talisker™ with smoked
salmon, kipper fillets, grilled smoked mackerel and oysters
on the half shell. 
Quite unique!