| Region of production: | The Islands |
| Distillery Location: | Carbost, Skye, Highland |
| Year Established: | 1830 |
Top Spirits Produced
- Core Range:
- 10, 18, 25, 30 Years Old
- Skye, Storm, Dark Storm, Port Ruighe, Distillers Edition, 57° North, Neist Point
Average Total Production
- 3.3 million liters neutral spirit before aging
Summary
In 1830, Talisker was founded on the Loch Harport shore, on the Isle of Skye, by brothers Hugh and Kenneth MacAskill. They leased the distillery to Donald McLellan in 1857. He went bankrupt by 1863 and transferred the lease to John Anderson, who later fell afoul of the law by selling nonexistent casks of whisky. In 1880, Alexander Grigor Allan and Roderick Kemp took over the distillery, bringing much better management to the operation. Various mergers ensued over the coming years, and Talisker became part of Distillers Company Limited, now owned by Diageo. Talisker still uses its original water source, the underground springs of Hawk Hill, and sources malt from Glen Ord Central Maltings in the Highlands.
Style & Distillation Techniques
Talisker’s barley is malted to a phenol specification of 18 to 20 ppm, resulting in many products with a much less smoky flavor profile than other island whiskies. Its wash stills are uniquely shaped, with air purifiers and a u-bend in the lyne arm, which allows for more copper contact during the first distillation. Talisker has five outdoor wooden worm tubs, a traditional system maintained by only 16 distilleries. For a worm tub, the lyne arm of the copper still runs outside the building and into large vats of circulating cold water, quickly condensing the vapors into the still safe. The quicker the condensing of the vapers, the heavier and more sulfuric the new make spirit. Distilleries can control the cooling time and copper contact of the vapers through various techniques. Talisker prefers to quickly condense its spirits with minimal copper contact, resulting in a robust style.
Producer Website: Talisker