Famed Treasure Island author and hard liquor connoisseur Robert Stevenson once published a list of his preferences. “There are three whiskey queens,” he said, “Talisker, Islay and Glenlivet.” “Talisker” was named the first and confirmed its status more than once – at international rating festivals and exhibitions. At the annual competition in San Francisco, gold at different times received all the “age” grades of scotch tape. In the Whiskey Bible, Jim Murray rated it 95 points, and according to the well-known Wine Enthusiast magazine, experts gave it 99 points out of a hundred possible.
Historical reference. This famous island scotch is produced by the only distillery on Sky Island, built on the shore of the bay in 1830 by the MacAskill brothers. Kenneth and Hugh experimented with the equipment for a long time – they tried double and triple distillation, compared results, made calculations. They settled on two distillation stills, traditional for Scotland, starting production in full force only in 1843.
But under their management, the distillery worked only until 1867, then, due to a conflict with the British tax authorities, the company went bankrupt. The distillery was bought by the head of the local tax office, Allan Gregor, and the alcohol dealer Roderick Kamp. The new owners rebuilt the building and modernized the process. In 1892, Kamp sold his share to a partner who took Patrick Delwayne as a partner and formed Dailuaine-Talisker Distilleries Ltd.
In 1900, the distillery was reconstructed, the area was expanded, a bottling shop and houses for staff were built. And in 1925, the brand and the plant were sold to United Distillers. At the time, the Talisker single malt was a limited edition, with 80% of the whiskey sold for the Johnnie Walker blend. In 1960, a fire broke out at the enterprise – the distillate in the cube boiled due to an oversight of the workers, splashed out through the top and flared up from burning coals. The equipment and 60% of alcohols stored in the warehouse burned down. It was possible to restore production only in 1972 after a complete reconstruction.
In 1997, United Distillers became part of Diageo, so today the brand and distillery are owned by this British alcohol giant. Talisker distillery opened a visitor center in 2005, which welcomes over 40 visitors a year, most of them foreign tourists.
Features
Water for the production of whiskey is taken from 14 sources – ice springs gushing out of the ground on the hills of Hawk Hill. The water is very soft and smells slightly of heather peat.
To cool the distillate, almost 100 liters of water are pumped hourly from the bay, and warm water is immediately used for technical needs and space heating during the cold season.
The distillery is constantly working 4 distillation cubes: in two primary distillation takes place, and in the other two – secondary. Stills are designed in such a way that part of the steam from the primary distillation is re-distilled.
Assortment of whiskey “Talisker”
- Talisker 10 Years Old (45.8%). Light, sparkling with gold, the scotch smells of heather peat, smoke, sea salt. The taste is full-bodied, with salty shades of smoke, barley malt, dried cherries. The drink received gold at the World Spirits Competition in San Francisco in 2011. Recommended as a digestif, goes well with cheeses.
- Talisker Storm (45.8%). Single malt scotch from the 2014 release, a honey-colored drink with a spicy and slightly smoky aroma and a salty taste with hints of almonds, heather and smoke. Warming salty-smoky aftertaste of medium duration. Whiskey goes well with cheeses and smoked meats, can be served with dinner and used as a digestif.
- Talisker 18 Years Old (45.8%). Single malt whiskey with a deep amber color. In a slightly smoky aroma, notes of dried plum, caramel and lemon zest are heard. Soft harmonious taste with hints of cherry resin, smoke and caramel. In 2007, at the World Whiskeys Awards, it was named the best whiskey in its class, received 9.5 points out of 10 possible from David Broom, Whiskey Magazine, Malt Advocate. Pairs well with oysters and red fish, drunk neat or with a little ice water.
- Talisker Distillers Edition, 1993 (45.8%). A dark chestnut colored Scotch with a spicy peaty aroma with brackish notes of smoke and heather. Spicy taste with hints of pepper, peat and heather honey. Warm aftertaste of medium duration. Recommended by experts as a digestif.
- Talisker 25 Years Old Limited Edition (54.2%). The drink was first released in 2008 as a limited edition. Honey color, spicy aroma with brackish notes of seaweed, peat smoke, iodine. Rich taste with hints of smoke and spices. When a small amount of cold water is added, a slight saltiness appears in the taste. Whiskey received silver at the Malt Maniacs Awards in 2009 and gold in San Francisco in 2013. The perfect digestif.
- Talisker 30 Years Old Limited Edition (49.5%). A golden colored single malt with a brackish aroma of seaweed, peat smoke and pine resin was released in a limited edition in 2008. Full-bodied harmonious taste with hints of resin, resin and peppermint. Warming aftertaste of medium duration with a hint of peat smoke. Scotch received a silver award at the Malt Maniacs Awards in 2009 and a gold award at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2012. It is recommended to drink clean as a digestif.
