Scotch Whisky
Scotch Whisky

Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Carbost, Skye Scotland IV47 8SR
Tel:
+44 (0) 1478 614308 / Fax:
+44 (0) 1478 614302
Viewer's Comments about Talisker

Talisker 175th Anniversary EditionHere, 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.

Loch Harport
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
TALISKER™ 18 YEAR OLD
TALISKER™ 175th
ANNIVERSARY EDITION
Talisker 10 Year Old

Talisker 18 Year Old

Talisker 175th Anniversary Edition

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.

 
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.
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

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
Talkisker 25 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky

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.

--Tasting Notes by Talisker


The Talisker Distillery
Talisker Distillery

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

January to Easter
Monday to Friday, tours by appointment only.
Last tour 3.30 pm

Easter to October
Monday to Saturday, 9.30am - 5pm.
Last tour 4.30 pm

November to December
Monday to Friday, tours by appointment only.
Last tour 3.30 pm.
(Closed between Christmas and New Year.)

Admission
Adults: £5.00 / This charge includes a discount voucher which is redeemable in the distillery shop towards the purchase of a 750ml bottle of single malt whisky. The distillery shop at Talisker stocks a wide range of rare and unusual malts.
Admission is free to all Friends of the Classic Malts.

Getting There
Leave the main road to Portree at Sligachan and take the A863 signposted for Dunvegan. After 5 miles, turn left onto the B8009 to Carbost. Follow the distillery signs along this narrow road.

Parking / Reception
Large car park immediately on the left as you approach the distillery. The visitor centre is up a flight of stairs facing the car park.

Groups
Maximium Group Size:16

Contact Us
Talisker Distillery
Carbost Skye
Scotland IV47 8SR
Telephone: +44 (0) 1478 614308
Fax: +44 (0) 1478 614302
E-mail: Talisker Distillery

Courtesy of Talisker Distillery

Comments on this Whisky                                                      page 1 of 1
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Joanne Bergstrom
Posted 86 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!