Talisker 12 Years Old 2009 Cask #DL 15638 (Old Particular)

Bottled by Douglas Laing, this Talisker, a 12 year old release from 2009, drawn from cask DL 15638 and bottled at 48.4%. Only 355 bottles were released. Talisker, built in 1831 at Carbost at Carbost on Skye's wild west coast, is a Diageo Classic Malt. The tall wash stills carry U shaped lyne arms with purifier pipes, and the spirit runs into worm tubs.

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. Past a decade the smoke mellows, the pepper settling over an oily, maritime spirit. A patient maturation suits the bold, maritime Talisker character. 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. The peat is medium rather than heavy, leaving the smoke balanced and coastal.

At its natural 48.4% it is rich and peppery. A maritime smoke with a peppery bite 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 maritime malt made by the sea on Skye.