Talisker Skye

A distillery bottling of Talisker and bottled at 45.8%. Talisker was first built in 1830 at Carbost on Skye's wild west coast, and it has captured the wild spirit of Skye since 1830. Water comes from the Cnoc nan Speireag, the Hawk Hill, springs above the distillery.

Distilled in tall stills with U shaped lyne arms and condensed in worm tubs, from peated Glen Ord malt, building the smoky, briny Skye character. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, gentle American oak under the smoke. Without an age statement, the malt is bold, smoky and coastal. Years in oak round the smoke, the pepper and brine settling with the wood. The unusual two wash and three spirit still set up is a relic of triple distillation, dropped in 1928. An old visitors book records guests calling since the turn of the last century. Medium peated malt from Glen Ord gives the smoke, the water from the Hawk Hill springs.

At an easy 45.8% it is gentle and briny. Sea brine, smoke and a black pepper kick ride over a vanilla from the refill oak beneath. The mouthfeel is oily, the smoke carried on a peppery body. A long, peppery finish smoulders to the end. This is Skye's famous peppery single malt.