Talisker 43 Years Old

An official Talisker single malt, a 43 year old release and bottled at 49.7%. Just 1830 bottles were filled. Founded in 1830 by Hugh and Kenneth MacAskill at Carbost on Skye's wild west coast, Talisker is the maritime malt of Skye. Talisker is made by the sea, its character drawn from the wild Skye coast.

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. Maturation came in ex-Bourbon wood, vanilla beneath the maritime smoke. Decades leave it deep and oxidative, mellow smoke and tropical fruit with a faint brine. A patient maturation suits the bold, maritime Talisker character. The peat is medium rather than heavy, leaving the smoke balanced and coastal. Talisker was for nearly two centuries the only working distillery on the Isle of Skye. Its 10 year old is the Island malt of Diageo's Classic Malts selection.

At a full 49.7% it is concentrated and oily. A smoky, briny depth with a chilli catch sit over a vanilla from the refill oak beneath. It is rich and smoky, the brine and oak well matched. A long, briny finish ends on black pepper. This is the wild maritime malt of Skye.