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.

After being distilled in 1985, Talisker 1985 Single Malt Scotch Whisky was aged for 27 years in refill American oak barrels before being bottled at cask strength. Released as one of Diageo’s 2013 Special Release Whiskies, it smells of orange, cinnamon bark, caramel, and earthy minerals, while on the taste, it has hints of ginger, cloves, honey, and smoke. With prominent hints of milk chocolate and salty brine, the mouthfeel is robust and rich, with a persistently peppery aftertaste. Whisky Advocate gave the whisky 92 points, placing it among the top ten spirits in their Spring 2014 issue.

“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. There have only ever been 3,000 bottles of this whisky produced. Get one now!

Notes on Tasting

On the palate, there are hints of smoke, honey, cloves, and ginger, followed by an aroma of caramel, cinnamon bark, orange, and earthy minerals. With prominent hints of milk chocolate and salty brine, the texture is robust and rich, with a persistently peppery aftertaste.