Talisker
The whisky of Skye, with the peppery finish unlike any other malt. Everything about the 10 Years, Storm and Skye, their taste and the glass that goes with them.
The whisky from an island that smells of the sea
Talisker was built in 1830 on the shores of Loch Harport near Carbost, on the Isle of Skye off Scotland's west coast. It is the oldest distillery on the island and for a long time was also the only one. The location is no detail: the casks mature in warehouses standing almost on the water, in a climate of sea air, rain and wind, and that comes through in the whisky.
What makes Talisker especially distinctive is the finish. Where other peated whiskies end in smoke or salt, Talisker ends in black pepper: a warm, tingling heat at the back of the throat that the brand itself calls 'made by the sea'. The entire core range is bottled at 45.8%, higher than the usual 40 or 43%, which contributes to that intensity.
In brief
What types of Talisker are there?
The core range is all bottled at 45.8%; the difference lies in the casks and the amount of smoke.
Talisker 10 Years
The classic and the best introduction: smoke, sea salt and dried fruit, with that distinctive peppery heat on the finish.
Talisker Skye
Softer and fruitier than the 10 Years, with less smoke and more vanilla. The most approachable bottle in the range.
Talisker Storm
The other direction: more smoke, salt and pepper than the 10 Years. Made for those who do not want the style softened.
Talisker Port Ruighe
Matured in port casks, layering red fruit and sweetness over the smoke. The name refers to the Scottish trade with Porto.
The 10 Years is the classic; the Skye if you're looking for something softer.
Black pepper, sea salt and smoke
Smoke & sea air
Peat smoke with sea salt and a hint of iodine, followed by sweet malt and dried fruit. Unmistakably maritime.
Full-bodied and salty
Full-bodied and oily, with smoke, salt, sweet malt and a hint of fruitiness. At 45.8%, plenty of flavor remains, even with water.
Peppery and warm
Talisker's signature: a long, tingling finish of black pepper that lingers at the back of the throat. No other malt does this quite like it.
Flavor profile of Talisker 10 Years. The Skye is softer and scores lower on smokiness; the Storm scores higher. Port Ruighe scores higher on sweetness and fruitiness.
Three ways to drink Talisker
At 45.8%, Talisker can take a few drops of water, and that helps: it makes the pepper more approachable without making it disappear.
Neat at room temperature
4 cl in a tulip-shaped tasting glass. Let it stand for two minutes: first comes the smoke, then the salt, and only when swallowing does the pepper arrive. That last part is exactly what it is all about.
Glass: tasting glass →With a few drops of water
Two to three drops of cold water open up the 45.8% and bring out the sweet maltiness and fruit beneath the smoke. Ice would have the same effect, but instead closes off the aromas.
Glass: tasting glass →As a Penicillin
50 ml blended whisky with lemon and honey-ginger syrup, shaken and strained, topped with a 10 ml Talisker float. The pepper and ginger enhance each other; this may well be the best Penicillin there is.
Penicillin recipe →Cocktails with Talisker
Use Talisker sparingly: as a float or a small part of the base, it has more than enough character to steer the cocktail.
Penicillin
Whisky, lemon, honey and ginger with a smoky float. Pepper and ginger belong together.
Smoky Old Fashioned
Whisky, sugar and bitters over a large ice cube, with some peated whisky mixed in.
Smoky Sour
Whisky, lemon, sugar and egg white. The pepper gives the sour an unexpected bite.
Hot Toddy
Whisky with hot water, honey, lemon and clove. The pepper comes through especially well when warm.The right glass for Talisker
A tulip-shaped tasting glass gathers the smoke and lets the pepper shine; a heavy tumbler is for those who still want ice. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
Everything you still wanted to know about Talisker
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