Talisker Distillery
- Emma Wilkinson
- Dec 22, 2024
- 4 min read
The very taste of the Isle of Skye
Since 1830, Talisker has been made by the sea for adventurous souls. An institution of Skye, for me, it is the very taste of the misty isle. An island steeped in drama and beauty, the Talisker distillery sits on the coast of Carbost. The taste of smoke, sea salt with warming plums and spice always take me back to Decembers spent on Skye, a new tradition Greg and I have established over the past few years.
Talisker was founded nearly two centuries ago by brothers Hugh and Kenneth MacAskill. The distillery opened in 1831 following the finalisation of their lease on Talisker House from the Chief of Clan MacLeod, the largest and most influential clan on the island. Not to be mistaken with the place of the same name, Talisker Bay is around 15 minutes drive from Carbost where the distillery sits on the banks of Loch Harport.
This dram has a truly full and unique flavour. It's early years saw this whisky triple distilled, across five stills - two wash stills and three spirit stills. Both key components in whisky distillation, let me have a go at explaining this process...
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How is whisky made ~ Distillation:
Both the wash and the spirit stills play a vital part in transforming fermenting liquid into quality whisky. The wash still is the first vessel of distillation, separating alcohol from other heavier impurities and compounds. It distills the "wash" (it's in the name!), which is the liquid created during the mashing and fermenting stages of the whisky making process. The wash is around 6 to 8% ABV (alcohol by volume), and is heated allowing alcohol and other compounds to evaporate due to their lower boiling point, transforming into vapours that rise through the still and condense back into liquid form - the alcohol and the rest of the wash are separated. This liquid is called the low wines with an alcohol content of around 20 to 25% - not high enough to be whisky and can still contain some undesirable compounds. So its distilled again, this time in the spirit still. It's here that the low wines are refined and the desired flavour profile begins to be captured (of course, the casks this liquid is stored in will play their part too). The low wines are heated and the distiller separates the distillate into three parts: 1) Foreshots - this is discarded as it contains volatile compounds that can be harmful such as methanol - no thanks! 2) Hearts - this is the bit we're looking for! It is the middle ground, the right alcohol content and the right flavours, forming the basis of the final whisky. 3) Feints - heavier, less desirable compounds but with enough promise to be distilled again to later become whisky.
The Heart is collected as new-make spirit, around 60 to 70% ABV, this will be put into casks and aged, becoming the whiskies we know and love!
Look closely at the stills next time you take a tour of the home of any whisky, they are not only beautiful works of engineering but differ from distillery to distillery. From their pots to their necks and lye pipes, the different shape combinations contribute to different flavour profiles. You can see Talisker's in the video below.
So, in short, the wash stills are stage one, the spirit stills are stage two - whiskies are generally double distilled, including Talisker. The shape and height of the stills a distillery uses plays a key role in the flavour profile of that whisky. Speaking of which, it's about time to taste some...
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Talisker 18 is by far, one of my favourite drams. It's full bodied, rich, with a hint of smoke that takes me back to my December trips to the island with every sip. There's a fruitiness here in the form of plums, with a hit of warming spice at the end. For me, it leaves an after taste with subtle touches of sweet toffee. This is my winter dram of choice.
Tastes, smells, certain words, even places conjure quite specific colours in my mind. So I set myself a challenge to design a tartan inspired by Talikser 18 based on colours conjured by just the sense of taste.
The results - It was warm burgundy tones at it's core, with subtle flashes of gold, wrought iron grey, muted blue and soft green. The ratios of each colour came from the strength in which they came to mind with each sip. An unconventional approach to tartan design, but one that came from exercising the sense of taste rather than sight - and why not! A whisky is rich in every sense, from it's history to the people who make it and where it is located, but none of that matters without a great taste that makes the drinker feel and experience something.
Join me in my tour of Talisker and take in some of the breathtaking and awe-inspiring landscape of the Isle of Skye in this short video exploring it, enjoy!