Talisker 18 Year
Talisker was founded in 1830 by the MacAskill and, after almost two centuries a more than one change of hands, is now owned by spirit conglomorate Diageo. The five stills at the distillery – two wash and three spirit – have a unique feature called swan neck lye pipes. A loop in the pipe moves some vapor into the worm tubs, which condenses some of the alochol therein before it is distilled again. Along with having travel retain bottles and a few No Age Statement expressions, the core of the lineup features five aged offerings, beginning with the Talisker 10. The Talisker 18 Year has long been part of the distillery’s output, along with the 10.
Talisker 10 Year
Talisker was founded in 1830 by Hugh and Kenneth MacAskill and was for many years the only distillery on Skye. Sourcing water from Cnoc nan Speireag (Hawk Hill) in Carbost and its grain from Muir of Ord, the distillery was rebuilt in 1880 and again in 1960 after a fire. Talisker’s malt is peated to a medium level and the water used runs over peat, providing potential added complexity. The Talisker 10 Year is the cornerstone of the core offerings and is aged in ex-bourbon American oak casks.
Ledaig Rioja Cask
Tobermory was founded in 1798 on the Isle of Mull. The distillery’s main output falls under the Tobermory brand and is used in some blends like Black Bottle, but they also produce a smaller mount of peated single malt sold under the name Ledaig, the original name of the distillery. The Ledaig Rioja Cask is the first in the Sinclair Series, launched in 2020. Regardless, this peated single malt is aged in ex-bourbon barrels before being finished in ex-Rioja casks.