Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Talisker Scotch Whisky Distillery Information

Founded in 1830 by Hugh and Kenneth MacAskill
Location Island region Carbost on the isle of Skye
Water Source Springs on Cnoc nan Speireag (Hawk Hill)

Talisker Scotch Whisky Distillery Equipment.
Copper domed Stainless steel mash tun
6 Oregon pine washbacks
3 Low wine stills 2 Wash stills with u-shape Lyne arms
5 copper worm tub condensers
Matured in American oak bourbon casks with some European Oloroso sherry butts for double maturation.

Talisker Scotch Whisky Distillery History.
Talisker is the only distillery on the Isle of Skye, and takes its name from a farm near the village of Carbost.

Hugh and Kenneth MacAskill, from Eigg, built the distillery in 1830. Hugh was a senior tenant farmer, who leased land to others and had acquired the lease of Talisker House.

After the brothers' deaths the distillery ownership passed to the partnership of Roderick Kemp, a wine and spirits merchant and Grigor Allan the Procurator Fiscal of Morayshire, who introduced significant sums of money in rebuilding and refitting the distillery between 1880 and1887.

At the time the Talisker whisky had gained a reputation for itself. The famous Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson mentioned Talisker in a poem, 'The Scotsman's Return from Abroad' in 1880,

The king o' drinks, as I conceive it,
Talisker, Islay or Glenlivit.
 
In 1892, Roderick Kemp bought The Macallan distillery on Speyside. So sole ownership passed to Grigor Allan.

In 1898 Talisker was merged with Dailuaine to form the Dailuaine-Talisker Distilleries Ltd. This company invested heavily into the distillery by extending the premises at Talisker, They built a pier with a tramway to link it to the distillery and provided houses to accommodate the employees and excise officer.

In 1925 United Distillers acquired the distillery ownership. Three years later ceased triple distillation in preference of double distillation

The distillery was partly rebuilt in 1960 after a fire, In November 1960 a simple lapse of concentration led to the leaving open of a valve on the No. 1 spirit still, which was at the time coal-fired.

As the spirit in the still reached boiling point a disastrous spill over occurred allowing spirit to reach the flames below. The resulting fire burned down the stillroom. The distillery was rebuilt meticulously around exact copies of the old stills.

The distillery's floor maltings were demolished in 1972.
 
In 1988/89, United Distillers selected Talisker for their Classic Malts series.

Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky Distillery Bottlings
Talisker 10 Year Old
Talisker 18 Year old
Talisker Aged 20 years
Talisker Aged 25 years
Talisker Distillers Edition Double Matured
Talisker 57Degree North

Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky 10 year old
A wonderfully powerful and award-winning Island malt bottled at above average strength with a comforting smooth afterglow.

Strength: 45.8% ABV
Appearance: Brilliant gold.

Nose: Powerful 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, warming peppery finish with an appetising sweetness.

Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Older Distillery Bottlings
Talisker 12 Year old
Talisker 30 Year old
Talisker Aged 14 years
Talisker 175th anniversary

Talisker 1973 Aged 28 years 43.3% - 100 bottles released 2001
Talisker 1975 Aged 25 years 59.9% - 6000 bottles released 2001
Talisker 1981 Aged 20 years 62% - 9000 bottles released 2002
Talisker 1982 Aged 20 years 58.8%- 12000 bottles released 2003

Talisker 25 years old 57.8%- 30,000 bottles released 2004
Talisker 25 years old 57.2%- 15,600 bottles released 2005
Talisker 25 years old 56.9%- 4860 bottles released 2006
Talisker 30 years old 51.9%- 3000 bottles released 2006
Talisker 25 years old 58.1%- 6894 bottles released 2007
Talisker 30 years old 50.7%- 2958 bottles released 2007
Talisker 25 years old 55.2%- 6708 bottles released 2008
Talisker 30 years old 49.5%- 3000 bottles released 2008

Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Independent Bottlings  
Gordon & MacPhail Secret Stills
Tactical Old Malt Cask (Douglas Laing)