Keepers 2017 Bottling

Talisker Distillery

Introducing the second in our series of exquisite single cask bottlings.

SOLD OUT

An Exquisite Bottling

No 2: Talisker Distillery

The second of our bottlings have been hand-selected by a valued member of the Management Committee, Dr Nicholas Morgan. Nick selected a refill butt from the Talisker distillery, aged 18 years old and bottled at cask strength. The spirit has not been chill filtered. The outturn of the cask yielded 618 bottles.

Get to know this release

Talisker 1998- Refill Butt

Following the success of the inaugural bottling, the Management Committee are delighted to present the second in the series of an exclusive collection of Keepers of the Quaich unique bottlings

The Society asked five of its respected Masters, Charlie MacLean, Susan Morrison, Dave Broom, Martine Nouet and Marcin Miller, to sample and evaluate this second bottling.

Susan Morrison (Back label)

Talisker, 1998, 56.6% Non chill filtered.

Colour: Soft and gentle, straw-like gold.
Nose: Hints of lemon meringue followed by bursts of tropical fruit and a rich dry oakiness.
Palate: The fruity presence remains whilst well-hidden smokiness and trademark peppery notes are unleashed on the palate.
Finish: A warm and comforting dram with a surprisingly formidable deep smoky finish.

Why do we separate whisky into nose, mouth, and finish when it’s a totality? Is the overall picture, no matter how strange, not more evocative?

The burning peats seethe in the grate. Soft ash falls.

Memories: Shoreline wanderings, knocking off limpets and rockpooling, strands of dulse and sticky tar blobs on the soles of seawatered wet feet. Looking out as the gale hit, salt spray lifting off the breakers, whitening the grass, and remembering how he told us it was always gentle beneath the tumult. How the sea wind lifted through the moorland, as we lay there among the musky honeyed flowers and moss, absentmindedly crushing sweet cicely leaves. The cousins who brought us salt water taffy, while we gave them Black Jacks and ate both under the fruit trees. Of how the smoke rose off the hill, sparks flaring among the heather, showing that autumn was now set in.

Half recalled, the sweetness of the lost past. The pepper catches in the throat, salt on cheeks.

Inky pens lifts.

The nose is intense and complex, displaying an elegant array of floral and marine notes. Freesia, pine needles damp with rain, briny air, wet seaweed and distant smoke. It becomes more biscuit-like over time with a sweet aniseed note. Fruitiness emerges with pear, ripe apple, dried apricot and the zest of lime. Hints of marzipan are all delicately wrapped in light smoke. It constantly changes in the glass.

On the palate has a delicious silky mouthfeel. It is sweet to start then opens with lovely spices. Almond biscuits (cantuccini) and sweet licorice root, with gentle smoke.

It lingers with soothing licorice and salted nuts on the back of the palate. It’s like a delightful walk in a garden by the shore after a Summer shower.

Colour: Richly golden with alluring viscosity.
Nose: Reassuring complexity; a tart of tropical fruit presented in oak.
Palate: Big citrus (yuzu, even) with later flourishes of chilli and pepper but oak is a constant, providing backbone; textbook flavour development throughout. Discreetly smoky and distinctive oily texture.
Finish: Smoky and warming; attractively drying and, therefore, most moreish.

Colour: Mid-gold, with khaki lights. Good beading and thick legs, indicating texture.
Aroma: Light nose prickle, and lightly nose-drying. An attractively oily top note (fragrant aromatherapy oil), with fresh maritime scents in the middle (iodine, salt, crispy edible seaweed) and a faintly smoky base with a suggestion of carbolic. Water introduces a suggestion of raw sugar.
Taste: An oily mouthfeel and a taste which begins lightly sweet, then salty and savoury and finishes long and warming, with Talisker’s key-note chilli spice and a thread of smoke. Retains its character well at reduced strength.
Comment: A very fine expression of Talisker: mellow and sophisticated, which yet retains all the make’s maritime and spicy character. Easy to drink straight or reduced. Put me down for a case…

Talisker Distillery

No 2: Talisker Distillery

Talisker 1998- Refill Butt

The burning peats seethe in the grate. Soft ash falls.

It’s like a delightful walk in a garden by the shore after a Summer shower

Textbook flavour development throughout. Discreetly smoky and distinctive oily

A very fine expression of Talisker

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