Talisker Distillery: A Scottish Stalwart

Set on the shores of Loch Harport in the village of Carbost, Talisker distillery is the oldest working distillery on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. It was founded in 1830 and built a year later, after Kenneth and Hugh MacAskill acquired the lease of Talisker House. The distillery produced the finest of single malt scotch whisky and was extended in 1900. But on 22nd November, 1960, a fire completely destroyed their still-house. It took another two years to rebuild the distillery with exact replicas of the previous five copper pot stills to preserve the essence of the original Talisker.

Talisker Distillery matures most of its spirits in American oak casks. However, the Talisker Distillers Editions are matured longer, with a finishing period in amoroso sherry casks. This gives a rich sherried note to the single malt, and is distinctly different from other smoky, spicy whiskies that the distillery offers. The malted barley they use comes from Muir of Ord. The water used in production comes from the Burn of Cnocnam Speireag and is known to add salty, peaty notes to their scotch.

Perched in the Inner Hebridean Scottish Isles, Skye is a place of extremes. Windswept rugged peaks of the Cuillin, and the gentle shores of the sea, the distillery tries to capture this contradiction in their scotch whisky. Talisker invites people from all across the globe to visit their distillery, witness their traditional pot stills, and the worm tubs that they believe make Talisker unique. Conducting several tours a day, all year round, Talisker wants the world to not just understand their craft but their homeland too.

THE SPEYSIDE STORY: EXPLORING SCOTLAND'S UNTAMED HEART

Malt, music and the natural magnetism of a breathtaking landscape — the ‘Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival’ is an event unlike any other; the delicious taste of a great drink enjoyed in its natural habitat, the pulsating throb of a community drenched in pure, unbridled joy, and the scents, sounds, scenes of a country’s true pastime.

Glancing at Glen Grant, Moray's Pride

A small village named Rothes in Moray, situated by the river Spey has been home to Glen Grant since 1840. Brothers James and John Grant, founder of Glen Grant spent years smuggling and distilling whisky illegally, before acquiring a license. It was not hard for the brothers to find an ideal location, since Rothes offered almost all. The sea, the port of Garmouth, the river with acres of barley growing by its plains, Rothes was bountiful in all the basic ingredients that make malt whisky.

Set Sail for the James Sedgwick Distillery

Away from the popular whisky destinations of Europe stands an award-winning 130-year-old whisky distillery on the shores of South Africa. About an hour’s drive from the city of Cape Town lies The James Sedgwick Distillery, founded in 1850 by the eponymous Captain James Sedgwick. After bidding adieu to the sea, the captain retired for a quiet life by the serene waters of the cape. He soon made his foray into a liquor, cigar, and tobacco business, establishing J. Sedgwick & Co. After the captain’s death in 1870, his four sons expanded the already flourishing business, importing wines, and brewing their own brandy. And, they did not stop at that. They bought two buildings by the Berg River in an attempt to create their own distillery. Who’d have known that the newly bought twin buildings were to become the oldest and the only commercial whisky distillery of South Africa one day? Standing tall and proud, steeped in history, the distillery offers a breath-taking view of Hawekwa, and Groenberg mountain ranges too.