The oldest release to date from Talisker distillery is the Talisker 43 Year Old Xpedition Oak. It is drawn from 10 casks, all filled in the late 1970s.
This Talisker is nicknamed The Atlantic Challenge because it was finished in casks, built from staves that navigated the Atlantic in a solo sailing trip (La Gomera to Antigua) undertaken by James Aiken. Each bottle is accompanied by a piece of one of these staves.
Talisker 43 yo ‘Xpedition Oak’ (49,7%, OB 2021, American oak hogsheads, 1830 btl.)
Nose: highly elegant but nonetheless really energetic. There are hints of green apples and citrus, as well as polished oak, sea spray, beeswax and cold ashes. Tiny herbal notes (mint, rosemary) and whiffs of dried grass. Cedar wood? Just a little pepper and seaweed in the background too. Excellent.
Mouth: black peppercorns, maybe a little chili at first, evolving towards Mediterranean herbs and old resins. Sweet grassy notes again, with subtle smoke and a touch of iodine. There’s a vague sweetness underneath, hard to pinpoint. Old leather. Candle wax. Late hints of minty freshness.
Finish: long and warming, on salt and black pepper, and waxy notes with a subtle hint of gingerbread.
Stunning! Xpedition Oak is up there with the best Talisker expressions. It gained finesse with age but without losing the typical peppery, maritime energy. A complex mix of aromas, beautifully composed. Available from The Whisky Exchange and Master of Malt for instance, as well as some of your local retailers of course.