Following mashing, the barley is fermented in the wooden washbacks of the distillery and then passed through Talisker’s copper-pot stills twice. The stills have special worm tubs and lye pipes in the shape of swans. This arrangement causes some of the vapor to condense during the distillation process before it reaches the cooler and then return to the still for redistillation. Talisker Single Malt Whisky’s distinctive, robust flavor character is a result of this technique.

Talisker 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky is aged for at least 18 years in conventional wood casks after distillation. Consequently, the whisky has a strong scent that includes hints of peat smoke, espresso, toffee, and maple syrup. The scent progresses to notes of rock candy, citrus, orange zest, and honeyed nuts before ending with a trace of leather and tobacco.

Whisky Advocate gave Talisker 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky 93 points, while Wine Enthusiast gave it 90–95 points. Additionally, it received the 2007 World Whiskies Awards’ “Best Whisky in the World” rating.

“Making Talisker demands long hours and no compromises, so I tour the distillery several times a day making sure no part of the process betrays the rest,” Lochhead explains.

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Concerning Talisker scotch

Talisker Distillery, which is located on the shores of Loch Harport, is greatly impacted by its location on the Isle of Skye; it captures the essence of the rugged, storm-tossed island and its resilient, unwavering inhabitants. Hugh and Kenneth MacAskill established the distillery in 1830 after leasing the Talisker House from Clan MacLeod and then turning it into a distillery. In the latter part of the 1800s, the MacAskills and Clan MacLeod negotiated a new lease for the distillery. The annual rent agreed upon was £23.12 and included a ten-gallon cask of the finest Talisker Whiskey available.

Malted barley from the Highland Scottish settlement of Muir of Ord is used to make Talisker Single Malt Whisky. The whisky has a somewhat smokey flavor character because the barley is mildly peated to about 18 phenol parts per million. Soft water from one of the 14 underground springs that emerge from Hawk Hill is used to mash the barley after it has been malted and peated. Talisker has been using the same water supply since its founding some 200 years ago. Mark Lochhead, the distillery manager at Talisker, says, “I’m always sticking my nose into the mash tun because I’m a restless person at heart.”

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