Talisker 10 Years Old

A distillery bottling of Talisker, aged 10 year old and bottled at 45.8%. Talisker, built in 1831 at Carbost at Carbost on Skye's wild west coast, is a Diageo Classic Malt. 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. Younger here, it keeps a fierce peat and a clear chilli kick. Years in oak round the smoke, the pepper and brine settling with the wood. Its 10 year old is the Island malt of Diageo's Classic Malts selection. 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 45.8% it is soft, smoky and coastal. 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. The finish is deep, oily and peppery. This is Talisker's smoky, peppery Skye style.