🥃 Talisker
Distillery and single malt whisky brand in Carbost on the Isle of Skye, founded in 1830; five stills; the only working distillery on Skye; owned by Diageo.
Talisker is a distillery and single malt Scotch whisky brand in Carbost, on the shore of Loch Harport on the Isle of Skye. It was founded in 1830 and is the only one of several registered distilleries on the island that kept producing. The owner is Diageo, and the style of the whisky is described as moderately smoky with a "salty peppery" character.
History. The brothers Hugh and Kenneth MacAskill took the lease of Talisker House and opened the distillery in Carbost in 1830; Difford's Guide dates the lease to 1827 and 1829, so the exact chronology differs. In 1916 the owner became a combine that included John Walker & Sons and John Dewar & Sons, and in 1925 Distillers Company, the predecessor of Diageo. On 22 November 1960 a fire destroyed the still house; the distillery was rebuilt in 1962 with exact copies of the stills. Talisker 10 joined the Classic Malts as the representative of the Islands.
How it is made. There are five stills: two for the first distillation and three for the second. Water-cooled "worm tubs" serve as condensers. The malt is moderately peated, 16-22 ppm phenols, and comes from Glen Ord Maltings. The water is drawn from 14 underground springs on Hawk Hill behind the distillery.
Why this matters to you. Talisker is smoky, but softer than whisky from Islay. Storm is 45.8% ABV and carries no age statement, so it is stronger than the basic 40%. The age on the label refers to the youngest whisky in the bottle. The WHO reminds us: there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | 1830, the MacAskill brothers (Carbost, Skye); lease dated 1825-1829 depending on the source |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890) (Single Malt Scotch Whisky) |
| EU category | 2 - whisky (whisky/whiskey) |
| Raw material | moderately peated barley malt (16-22 ppm), Glen Ord Maltings; water from Hawk Hill |
| Distillation method | twice, 5 copper stills (2 + 3), worm tubs |
| Minimum maturation | from 3 years in oak by law; Talisker 10 is 10 years |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | from 40% ABV by law; Storm is 45.8% |
What it includes
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Talisker → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Previous step
- 🥃 Diageo
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What is made from it
- 🥃 Johnnie Walker Black Label, 🥃 Johnnie Walker Green Label
- What it contains
- 🧪 Water, 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 British
- Part of
- 🥃 Whisky, 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Scotch Whisky
- Related to
- 🌍 Western Europe, 🥃 Island whisky
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Peated whisky, 🥃 Islay whisky, 🥃 Lagavulin, 🥃 Caol Ila, 🥃 Caol Ila, 🥃 Lagavulin, 🥃 The Balvenie, 🥃 The Balvenie, 🥃 Cutty Sark, 🥃 Cutty Sark
and 7 more
🥃 Cragganmore, 🥃 Tobermory, 🥃 Highland Park, 🥃 Dailuaine, 🥃 Glen Ord, 🥃 Abhainn Dearg, 🥃 Torabhaig
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Talisker is the only distillery on Skye?
Among those working today, yes. Difford's Guide says it is the only one of the seven registered on the island that survived.
When was Talisker founded?
In 1830 in Carbost. The MacAskill brothers obtained the land lease earlier, in 1825 or 1827 depending on the source.
What happened in 1960?
On 22 November a fire destroyed the still house. The distillery was rebuilt in 1962 with exact copies of the stills.
Is Talisker peated?
The malt is moderately peated, 16-22 ppm phenols, so the whisky is smoky, but not like those from Islay.
Who owns Talisker?
Diageo; its predecessors have owned the distillery since 1925.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🌍 Western Europe — France, the Netherlands, Britain, Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg: a mild, moist climate, pastures and hundreds of cheeses such as Roquefort, Camembert, Gouda and Cheddar.
- 🧑🤝🧑 British — People of Great Britain; their protected West Country Cheddar matures for at least 9 months, and tea is drunk with milk.
Similar
🥃 Caol Ila · 🥃 Abhainn Dearg · 🥃 Port Ellen · 🥃 Scapa · 🥃 Royal Lochnagar · 🥃 Glen Elgin
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), reg. 3: definition and categories of Scotch Whisky (Scotland, oak up to 700 l, min. 3 years, min. 40 % ABV)
- Scotchwhisky.com (Whiskypedia): Talisker (Carbost, Skye; 1830; five stills; Diageo; worm tubs; medium-peated malt)
- Difford's Guide: Talisker Distillery (16-22 ppm, Glen Ord Maltings, Hawk Hill springs, 5 stills, Storm 45.8 %)
- Difford's Guide: Talisker Distillery, History (lease 1827/1829, fire of 22.11.1960, Classic Malts)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)