Scotland, Isle of Skye. Distillery operational. Owner: Diageo

A leading single malt in the Six Classic Malts range first released in the late 1980s, Talisker was already well-known to fans of peated whisky. In the 1970s, the malt was found in an 8 year old version (45.8%) and a 12 year old version (43%). The 1980s saw the addition to the label of the famous dandy Johnnie Walker, who replaced the distillery's coat of arms which had been used up until this point (50s, 60s and 70s). A key supplier of malt to the blends Johhnie Walker, Te Beag, White Horse and Isle of Skye, Talisker was for many years limited to just two expressions, the Classic Malts and Distillers Edition. From 2001, however, bottlings became more common, allowing the vaults to release venerable versions aged for 20, 25, 30 and 35 years, culminating in 2016 with the release of a Talisker 40 Year Old in the Rare Malts Selection (45.7%) limited to just five bottles worldwide. It was the first and most likely the last, as, like Lagavulin, this edition of Talisker is unique in the history of the Rare Malts range.

A Talisker single cask (#3220) distilled in 1988 and bottled in 2006, matured for 18 years in a refill hogshead. As some distilleries asked for their name not to be used on independent bottlings, Douglas Laing released this Talisker under the name Directors’’ Tactical Selection. Douglas Laing was founded in 1948 by Fred Douglas Laing, primarily as a blending company but also as an independent bottler, with the latter activity becoming increasingly prominent over the years. The Old Malt Cask range (single casks bottled at 50%) was launched in 1998 and continued with Hunter Laing in 2013 when Fred Douglas Laing’’s sons Fred and Stewart separated, with the latter founding Hunter Laing. A limited edition of 325 bottles.