Among aficionados, Talisker is famously familiar to and adored by the palate; numerous gentlemen in the whiskey business, columnists, reviewers, writers, and buyers suggested that Talisker even might be their favourite, if not a top 10 pick—now that’s high praise.
“[It’s an] extremely easy drinking malt that has enough complexity to stay consistently interesting,” says Rob Crossan in Luxury London, while Chris Ellis at The Whisky Study wrote, “Talisker 10 was a surprising, fascinating, multi-layered whisky that kept me reaching for more.” Words of Whisky writer Thijs Klaverstijn reminds us that “Talisker is probably one of the best distilleries Scotland has,” and that’s a tall order indeed.
Lucky us then, that there are coveted bottles within reach or heading to our shores this year, the most interesting among them the Talisker Wilder Seas, a limited-edition release inspired by ocean conservation and the preservation of marine ecosystems, and created in collaboration with Parley for the Seas, a global environmental organisation.
Finished in French oak casks seasoned with XO Cognac—a first for the brand—Talisker Wilder Seas offers fruity notes of sultanas and figs, and comes in a bottle made entirely of recycled glass. Talisker has really upped the ante by donating £3 (HK$28.5) to Parley for the Seas every time a bottle is sold in a bid to the organisation’s conservation projects.
At the “Talisker Wilderness Excursion” event, designed to capture Talisker’s “spirit of exploration and its connection with the nature,” guests were given a preview of not only the Talisker Wilder Seas, but also of two upcoming releases in Hong Kong—the wildly anticipated Talisker Port Ruighe and Talisker Storm. By-invitation-only VIP guests set sail along the coastlines of Hong Kong to sample the sea-inspired whiskies, aptly by the sea.
Talisker Port Ruighe—named after the main trading port on the Isle of Skye from which Scottish merchants traded with Portuguese for their port wine trade—undergoes a finish in port casks, which infuses the liquid with “succulent sweet notes of rich berry fruits” for smoky and savoury flavours. With savoury drinks gaining recognition as part of a growing trend hitting the local bar scene, many are appropriately excited about this new nectar.
Talisker Storm brings the intense characteristics of Talisker’s signature 10-year-old whisky to the forefront, creating what the brand calls a “more brooding and dark experience reminiscent of a storm at sea.” Notes of brine, wood, spice, and smoke, evocative of a beach bonfire, develop into a flavour profile with a hint of spiciness.Crisp winds and fierce storms prevail? If William Cowper’s The Castaway (“No voice divine the storm allayed/No light propitious shone”) comes to mind, you are not alone in sampling the newly launched expressions for eloquent inspiration. Find the new releases at a good stockist near you to find out what a whisky honouring ocean conservation tastes like.
