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.
Old Pulteney 18 Year
Old Pulteney was founded in 1826 and named after the same Sir William Pulteney that the nearby Pulteneytown was. The core lineup has both No Age Statement offerings along with a few aged whiskies, and the Old Pulteney 18 is the oldest of the current portfolio. Double matured in both second-fill American ex-bourbon and first-fill Spanish ex-Oloroso sherry casks.
Glenlivet Enigma
The Glenlivet Enigma was the fourth in the “Mystery Series”, a range in the 2010s that featured the Alpha (2013), Cipher (2016), Code (2018), Enigma (2019), and Spectra (2020). These bottles usually came with little to no details on the packaging or website and encouraged drinkers to explore the range of experiences Glenlivet had to offer without relying on marketing guidance. Some bottles featured puzzles or other clues the consumer could solve to reap notes or facts about the bottles in question. The Enigma was the highest-proofed offering from the series.