
Talisker 18 Year Old
Talisker · Talisker Distillery
This is Talisker at its most composed — the maritime punch of the 10-year softened into something more nuanced and integrated. Eighteen years have fused the distillery's wild coastal character with sherry-cask sweetness into a seamless whole. A masterclass in how time can be mortar.
Kit Aromas
Nose
Maritime smoke and dried fruit open together, neither dominating. Honeyed malt and a faint floral rosewater quality drift underneath, with toasted wood and a gentle medicinal note at the edges.
Palate
Rich and layered — dried fruit and caramel arrive first, then the signature Talisker pepperiness emerges wrapped in smoky malt. A dark cocoa bitterness adds depth through the mid-palate without heaviness.
Finish
Long, warming, and slightly briny. Smoke and dried fruit linger together in a balanced, slow fade.
- Region
- Islands (Isle of Skye)
- Cask Type
- Refill American Oak & European Oak
- Peat Level (PPM)
- ~20
- Distillation
- Double distilled in copper pot stills with worm tub condensers
- Maturation
- Aged 18 years in refill American oak and European oak casks
- Chill-Filtered
- No
Food Pairing
Seared duck breast with blackberry reduction
Perched on the shore of Loch Harport on the Isle of Skye, Talisker has been the only distillery on the island since 1830, shaping its whisky with salt air, peat smoke, and Atlantic storms.
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