Talisker Distillery Exclusive (2019)

Talisker Distillery Exclusive (2019) Whisky Tasting Notes

This is a no-age-statement bottling, selected by staff from the distillery. The whisky was triple matured and spent time first in refilled oak casks, heavily charred American Oak hogsheads and finally European Oak puncheons.

Price: £90 for a bottle or £7 for a dram at the bar. Available only at the distillery in Carbost on the Isle of Skye.

Talisker Distillery Exclusive
(photo credit: Old Liquor Company)

Appearance: Amber, with red hues.

Tasting Notes for Talisker Distillery Exclusive (2019)

Nose: Light and subtle for Talisker. Sweet red fruits and brown sugar with some black pepper and just a hint of ash.

Palate: Citrus fruits, particularly lemon, salted dark chocolate and again, just a hint of ashy smoke.

Finish: Peppercorns, cinnamon and a very light peat. It is a long finish that is sharp rather than classically smokey.

Overall: Less “maritime” than a typical Talikser bottling, making it a distinctively different expression that is well worth a try.

About Talisker

“The king o’ drinks, as I conceive it, Talisker, Islay or Glenlivet” were the words of Robert Louis Stevenson and HV Morton from the poem The Scotsman’s Return From Abroad. The Talisker distillery was founded in 1830 by Hugh and Kenneth MacAskill, and is now owned by Diageo. It produces 3.5 million litres annually, which is relatively modest considering the distillery’s popularity. Talisker sits on Skye’s western coast, at Loch Harpor in Carbost, and is the Island’s oldest producer of single malt whisky. The distillery gets its water from the same 21 underground springs as it did when it was built. The whisky is produced in two wash stills and three spirit stills, with unique swan neck lye pipes. Talisker is one of few distilleries to still use worms tubs instead of “shell & tube” condensers. The entire distillery was burnt to the ground in the 1960’s, and exact replicas of the five stills and worm tubs were constructed when rebuilding to preserve the distinctive taste of Talisker. The island is remote and rugged, with scenic mountains and rough seas; the landscape shines through in the flavour profile of the award winning whiskies.