Talisker 18 Years Old

A distillery bottling of Talisker, aged 18 year old and bottled at 45.8%. Established in 1830 by Loch Harport, beneath the Cuillin hills, Talisker is the maritime malt of Skye. Its 10 year old was chosen as the Island malt of Diageo's Classic Malts series.

It was drawn off stills whose looped lyne arms and worm tubs build a rich, oily spirit, from peated malt, for a smoky, coastal spirit with a chilli kick. An Oloroso sherry cask wrapped the smoke in dried fruit and a nutty depth. Past a decade the smoke mellows, the pepper settling over an oily, maritime spirit. Sea air works into the warehouses by Loch Harport, lending a saline thread. 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. After a stillhouse fire in 1960, the five stills were rebuilt as exact replicas.

Bottled at 45.8%, it is rounded. The Oloroso brings smoked dried fruit and a nutty depth, and a coastal peat smoke and a peppery lift ride over a gentle vanilla under the smoke. The texture is oily and full, the smoke threaded with salt. A long, briny finish ends on black pepper. This is Talisker's smoky, peppery Skye style.