Talisker Scotch Single Malt 18 Year

Ultimate Beverage Challenge 97 points - Cereal grain, roasted peat moss, and preserved citrus explode from this exquisite whisky. The palate has a chewy texture that further intertwines bayside air, saddle leather, and campfire embers, and the finish lasts a remarkably long time with further tones of sea and smoke..March/2017

STRENGTH 45.8% ABV

The first regular bottling of an older Talisker. Time has rounded not tamed its might. Rich and fruity a " Victoria plums, greengages, perhaps dried orange peel a " with some butterscotch or rum toffee and a thread of smoke behind. The smoke soon advances into the foreground and the toffee note is joined by a light mintiness. With water maritime characteristics emerge a " dry boat varnish, edible seaweed. Still sweet; now with notes of iodine and the smokiness of an un-struck match. APPEARANCEAmberNOSERich and fruity Victoria plums, greengages, perhaps driedorange peel with some butterscotch or rum toffee and a thread of smoke behind. The smoke soon advances into the foreground and the toffee note is joined by a light mintiness. With water, those maritime characteristics emerge once again dry boat varnish, edible seaweed. Still sweet; now with notes of iodine and the smokiness of an un-struck match.BODYFull. Pleasant, smooth.PALATESweet in front, then more assertive, with a whiff of smoke. The overall effect is warming. The development is towards smoke, coal-tar and toffee.FINISHMedium length. The characteristic chilli ’catch’ in the finish is subtly present in the aftertaste.Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky lodged far from any neighbour in the small coastal community of Carbost at the head of Loch Harport, is one of the finest yet most remote distilleries of all. It was in 1825 that came here from the smaller island of Eigg, first to bring sheep to Skye, then to bring Skye's wild spirit to the world.

Leasing Macleod land at Carbost, the MacAskills built Talisker Distillery in 1830 against the fiery protestations of the abstainer and former parish Minister, the Rev. Roderick Macleod, who declared this "one of the greatest curses that... could befall it or any other place". However, it wasn't long before their elixir was commented on more favourably, by no less a writer than Robert Louis Stevenson.