Talisker 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Situated on the shores of Loch Harport, Talisker Distillery is heavily influenced by its location on the Isle of Skye — it embodies the spirit of the rocky, storm-lashed island and its strong, steadfast people. The distillery was founded in 1830 by Hugh and Kenneth MacAskill, who leased the Talisker House from Clan MacLeod and eventually converted it into a distillery. When a new lease for the distillery was negotiated between the MacAskills and Clan MacLeod in the second half of the 19th century, the annual rent settled upon was £23.12 and a ten-gallon cask of the best Talisker Whisky available.

Talisker Single Malt Whisky is made from malted barley sourced from the Muir of Ord, a village in Highland, Scotland. The barley is lightly peated to approximately 18 phenol parts per million, which contributes a slightly smoky flavor profile to the whisky. Once the barley has been malted and peated, it is mashed using soft water drawn from one of the 14 underground springs that rise from Hawk Hill — Talisker has been using the same water source since it was founded nearly two centuries ago. "I'm restless at heart so you'll find me poking my nose into the mash tun at all hours," says Mark Lochhead, Talisker's Distillery Manager.

After the barley has been mashed, it is fermented in the distillery's wooden washbacks before being twice distilled through Talisker's copper-pot stills. The stills are equipped with unique swan-shaped lye pipes and worm tubs. As a result of this configuration, a portion of the vapor during distillation condenses before reaching the cooler, and runs back into the still for redistillation. This process gives Talisker Single Malt Whisky its signature, full-bodied flavor profile.

Following distillation, Talisker 10 Year Old Single Malt Whisky is matured in traditional oak casks for a minimum of ten years. The whisky has a slightly smoky aroma, with hints of spice and salt. The aroma gives way to notes of smoked meat, black pepper, cloves, honeyed oak and masa on the palate, and ultimately leads to a slightly sweet and long finish.

Talisker 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky earned the Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2013 and was rated the "Editor's Choice"by Whisky Magazine. In addition, it earned a rating of 9.5 out of 10 by Jim Murray's Whisky Bible and was rated a "Best Buy"by Wine Enthusiast. Finally, it earned a score of 94 points at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge in 2013.

"Making Talisker demands long hours and no compromises, so I tour the distillery several times a day making sure no part of the process betrays the rest," says Lochhead.

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