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Talisker has pulled out all the stops with their latest limited edition single malt. It goes by the name of Magma and represents the distillery’s oldest expression to date, having been aged for 47 long years in refill American oak hogsheads. For the final stretch, the whisky spent four months inside new American oak casks, and not just any oak casks, but ones that were toasted using local volcanic rocks. This release is limited to 632 bottles worldwide and is being offered at a suggested retail price of $8,998 AUD.
What’s in a name? In this particular instance, quite a bit. That is to say, Talisker Magma draws upon the volcanic eruptions that once formed Scotland’s Isle of Skye and its rugged coastline. The volcanoes have long since gone dormant, but their magma-based rocks remain. Being located on this very same land, Talisker’s decision to use these rocks pays direct homage to the distillery’s historic surroundings.
There’s also the age factor to consider. While the new whisky isn’t as old as the aforementioned volcanoes – which erupted tens of millions of years ago – it’s still the distillery’s oldest release to date. To keep the metaphor going, the liquid waited patiently like lava, only to explode all over your palate after 47 years of slumber.
Meanwhile, this isn’t the first time Talisker toasted casks using volcanic rock instead of open flames, having previously done so for last year’s Molten Seas. The process involves rotating barrels over heated rocks, which toast the interior without making any direct contact with the wood. Continual steaming keeps the cask from drying out and maintains proper temperature control.
By taking combustion out of the equation, fruity notes rise to the forefront of the whisky, as does a briny character with smoky undertones. Ultimately, however, Talisker Magma offers an exceptional balance between various temperaments. It opens on a nose of salty seawater and chilli pepper spice. The taste rolls over the palate like warm and delicious magma – metaphorically speaking – in waves of volcanic spice, maritime salt, caramel sweetness, and silky smoke. At the long finish comes spicy Sichuan pepper and warm oak.
Talisker presents Magma 47-Year-Old in a sculptured bottle of 100% recycled glass, which uses gradient hues to reflect the Isle of Skye and its volcanic-born topography. Going from clear to black, each bottle captures the consequential interplay between sweeping ocean and volcanic rock. A hand-sculpted stopper – inspired by volcanic obsidian – subtly ensures that no two bottles are exactly the same.
“Talisker Magma is the ultimate expression of our whisky-making artistry,” says Nishant Samuel, Head of Whisky & Liqueurs at Diageo AU. He goes on to call the release “rare, powerful, and truly one of a kind.” Between the epic age statement and volcanic affiliations, we’re certainly inclined to agree.
Talisker’s oldest expression to date, Magma 47-Year-Old Single Malt will be released in limited quantities via the private client teams and in highly select luxury retailers in the UK, select European and APAC countries, and the US and Global Travel Retail, with an RRSP (AUD) of $8,998 inc GST.
Talisker Magma Key Details and Tasting Notes
- ABV: 48.8%
- SKU FORMAT: 70CL
- RRSP (AUD): RRSP of $8,998 inc GST.
- RELEASE VOLUME: 632
Tasting notes
Nose: A mellow nose with a just gentle hint of that Talisker chilli-pepper prickle. The initial impression is distinctly mineral and maritime, led by wet rocks, dry edible seaweed and salt crystals backed by sweet notes of Scottish toffee, then scented sandalwood with a trace of hessian. Later, a very faint smoky note suggests a bonfire in the background. This is increased if water is added.
Taste: A creamy-smooth, silky texture introduces an unusually mineral, intense and lightly sweet initial taste, with the mineral note becoming a familiar pinch of salt that joins with notes of sweet Scottish toffee mid-palate to herald the rise of an elemental spicy warmth. This spreads across the tongue like a never-ending flow of lava from the earth’s core, interweaving volcanic smoke and sweetness. The classic chilli ‘catch’ at the back is smoother, yet still there. Water is not needed, but if added a drop reduces the intensity and raises the mineral note.
Finish: Long with spicy but also mouth-cooling notes of sichuan chilli-pepper and a long, warming glow in the aftertaste. Magnificent.
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