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.

Bakery Hill Distillery, Australia

Having been constantly told over the years that no other place in the world can produce as good single malt whiskies as Scotland, David Baker, a former food scientist, was irked so much, that he began distilling whisky from 1999. He thought if one could understand the process of whisky making at a molecular level, it might be possible to replicate some of the best single malts from Scotland. With that in mind, he followed the traditional procedures which have been practiced for centuries now, and acquired equipment from some of the leading engineering firms from UK. Since he believes that the most important part of the distillery is the still, and that every dimension in the still influences the flavor, aroma, and the character of the whisky, he took great effort in designing the stills. That is how Bakery Hill distillery was born in Victoria, Australia.

Iceland’s Finest Eimverk Distillery

With its chilly and dark winter months, Iceland has the perfect reason to pour yourself a dram of whisky. And it’s not just whisky (the locally distilled spirit), you wouldn’t want to miss exploring the stunning beauty of the place. Located in the outskirts of Reykjavik, the distillery was initiated by three brothers who started operating out of a garage. The first few years were spent solely on experimenting with 165 odd recipes, before the very first Floki was left in casks, to mature. Today, the distillery’s undisputed fame owes primarily to its Flóki whisky range apart from the local alcohol, Brennivín.

Visit the ‘Home’ of Chivas - Strathisla Distillery

The oldest Scotch distillery in the world, Milltown— now known as Strathisla, was established by Alexander Milne and George Taylor in 1786. It was purchased by Jay Pomeroy in 1940, and later acquired by James Barclay of Seagram, through its main subsidiary, the Chivas Bros Group, in 1949.