Talisker 30 Years Old (53.1%)

A distillery bottling of Talisker matured to 30 year old and bottled at 53.1%. 3000 bottles in all. 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. Its 10 year old was chosen as the Island malt of Diageo's Classic Malts series.

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. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, the wood adding a light sweetness under the peat. At this great age the smoke is gentle and the malt waxy, the pepper a warm memory. Years in oak round the smoke, the pepper and brine settling with the wood. The worm tubs build the full, oily body that carries the smoke and pepper. For most of its life Talisker stood alone on Skye, until Torabhaig opened in 2017. Carbost is a tiny port on the wild west coast of Skye.

At a hearty 53.1% it carries real weight. A coastal peat smoke and a peppery lift ride over a vanilla from the refill oak beneath. The texture is oily and full, the smoke threaded with salt. A long, peppery finish smoulders to the end. This is Talisker's smoky, peppery Skye style.