OPENING TIMES
January – February
OPENING TIMES
| Day | Times | |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 10:00 | 16:30 |
| Tuesday | 10:00 | 16:30 |
| Wednesday | 10:00 | 16:30 |
| Thursday | 10:00 | 16:30 |
| Friday | 10:00 | 16:30 |
| Saturday | 10:00 | 16:30 |
| Sunday | 10:00 | 16:30 |
Talisker Distillery
Talisker distillery (pronounced Tal-is-ker) is an island single malt Scotch whisky distillerybased in Carbost, Scotland on the Minginish Peninsula on the Isle of Skye. The distillery is operated by Diageo, and Talisker’s 10 year old whisky has been nominated as part of their Classic Malts series. The brand is considered a premium Single Malt Whisky.
The spirit is most frequently matured in American oak casks. The malt is peated to a phenol level of approximately 18–22 parts per million (ppm), which is a medium peating level. Additionally, the water used for production, from Cnoc nan Speireag (Hawk Hill), flows over peat which adds additional complexity to the whisky.
The distillery began producing special bottlings of the whisky for connoisseurs in the early 2000s, with a 20- and 25-year bottling (where previously only a 10-year and 18-year were available). The 25-year bottling, despite being more expensive than the 20-year bottling, was distributed more widely.
In 2007 Talisker 18-year-old won “Best Single Malt In The World 2007” at the World Whiskies Awards, and in 2015 Talisker 10 Year Old won a Double Gold Medal and “Best Single Malt Scotch up to 12 years” in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
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Owner
Diageo
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Status
Operational
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Country
Scotland
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Region
Highlands (Islands, Skye)
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Production type:
Single Malt
Blends (Johnny Walker) -
Founded
1830
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Production yearly
1.900.000 Liters
History
Talisker’s founders, brothers Hugh and Kenneth MacAskill were classic Clearance landlords. Having bought the tack [rent] of Talisker House on Skye and extensive lands in 1825, they set about forcibly shifting the resident population from their farms, either to new settlements at Carbost and Portnalong on the shores of Loch Harport and Portnalong, or off the island entirely.
As well as replacing subsistence farmers with more profitable sheep, another of the MacAskill’s money-making schemes was distilling. In 1830, they opened their Talisker distillery in Carbost using the cleared populace as its workforce.
Their venture into whisky-making was not a success and by 1848 the bank was in control. For the next three decades Talisker stumbled through a series of other owners who found it hard to keep afloat a distillery which is remote even by 21st century standards.
In 1880, Talisker’s fortunes changed when Roderick Kemp and Alexander Allen [see Dailuaine] bought the distillery and proceeded to expand the site and construct a distillery pier – until then all the casks had to be floated out to waiting ships.
Kemp sold his share in 1892 in order to buy Macallan and on Allen’s death in 1895, his business partner Thomas Mackenzie took charge and three years later Talisker was formally merged with Dailuaine (and Imperial). When Mackenzie himself died in 1916, a grouping of major blenders, John Walker & Sons, John Dewar, W.P. Lowrie, and DCL took control, an indication as to the quality of the spirit. Talisker has remained within the same grouping (the firms all merged and eventually morphed into Diageo).
In 1960, the distillery burned down and was silent until 1962 while it was being rebuilt. A decade later the maltings closed and the distillery began getting its requirements from Glen Ord.
Talisker had long been available as single malt from independents such as Gordon & MacPhail, and also officially, predominantly as an eight-year-old. In 1998, it was given greater prominence as a founding member of the Classic Malts Selection when the age was upped to 10 years. An 18-year-old joined the range in 2004, but since 2008 the range has expanded dramatically with no-age-statement quartet: 57˚North, Storm, Dark Storm and Port Ruighe. It is now one of Diageo’s most important single malt brands.
Timeline of Talisker
“ From rugged coastlines and wild storms to warming rays of sunshine and cloudless skies, the Isle of Skye flows through our veins and invigorates our souls. Unpredictable elements meet unadulterated beauty to create Talisker single malt scotch whisky: a whisky that is as wild, as raw and yet as refined as our island itself.”
Talisker distillery
Distillery Facts
- All
- Gallery Item
Taste profile
Full bodied
Raw yet refined, just like our island, our whiskies invite the palate to explore the facets of Skye.
United by an unmistakeable sweet peppery smoke, all Talisker malts bring character in abundance.
Beneath their smoke, secondary aromas of soft fruit, spice and lush green moss rise.
Hits of maritime notes come in waves, always reminding us this is a whisky Made By The Sea.
Core range
At this point Talisker core range is:
- Talisker 10 Year Old
- Talisker Skye
- Talisker Storm
- Talisker Dark Storm
- Talisker 18 year Old
- Talisker 25 year Old
- Talisker 30 year Old
- Talisker Distiller’s edition
- Talisker 57° North
- Talisker Port Ruighe
- Talisker Neist Point
- Talisker 8 Year Old Cask Strength (periodic release)
- Talisker Expedition Oak 43 years Old
Bottels Archive
All the bottles released by Talisker sorted by year.
Check it out by clicking below
Distillery Tours
Let us welcome you to Talisker and share with you an insight into the history, people and passion that makes Talisker single malt whisky so special. This experience includes a walk through of our distillery, with one of our knowledgeable guides, and culminates with a tutored whisky tasting of 3 drams of Talisker.
DURATION:
About 45 minutes
DRAMS
3 drams
COST
£15 per person
Visit the distillery and take a tour around the distillery all at the comfort of your home using google maps.
Visitor center
March – October
OPENING TIMES
| Day | Times | |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 10:00 | 17:00 |
| Tuesday | 10:00 | 17:00 |
| Wednesday | 10:00 | 17:00 |
| Thursday | 10:00 | 17:00 |
| Friday | 10:00 | 17:00 |
| Saturday | 10:00 | 17:00 |
| Sunday | 10:00 | 17:00 |
November – December
OPENING TIMES
| Day | Times | |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 10:00 | 16:30 |
| Tuesday | 10:00 | 16:30 |
| Wednesday | 10:00 | 16:30 |
| Thursday | 10:00 | 16:30 |
| Friday | 10:00 | 16:30 |
| Saturday | 10:00 | 16:30 |
| Sunday | 10:00 | 16:30 |
CONTACT DETAILS
- Talisker Distillery
Carbost
Isle of Skye
Inverness-shire
IV47 8SR
United Kingdom
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tel: +44 1478 614308
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