One of our favourite Scotch whisky brands, Talisker has a special place in the hearts of many a dram drinker thanks to its nuanced flavours and smoky upbringing. Hailing from the Isle of Skye, the brand is known for producing some of the more complex arrangements, instilling ocean flavours in every drink and creating some of the most sought-after and palatable whiskies on the planet.
The Talisker 43-Year-Old Xpedition Oak remains one of our favourite bottlings to date, with a story (and age statement) to challenge any in the industry. It was the brand’s oldest whisky to date but that’s all about to change with the Talisker 44-Year-Old ‘Forests of the Deep’ release that’s limited to just 1,997 bottles globally.
Related: These are our favourite peated whisky brands, check out where Talisker stacks up against the rest.
Image: ‘The Great African Sea Forest’ | Sea Change Project
The story starts with the age statement, 44-Years-Old. Those that start with the number 4 are always eye-catching and something we’ve associated with the best whiskies in the world. In the case of this dram, it merely tells half the story. It’s also about those ‘Forests of the Deep’, think kelp farms, smoky maritime accents, umami-rich taste, oily-smooth texture, or basically everything we love about Talisker turned up to 44.
“This limited release embodies the rugged, wild spirit of the oceans with a rich maritime taste of smoky-sweet intensity. With just 1,997 bottles available worldwide, this is a truly one-of-a-kind chance to try Talisker’s oldest-ever release. And we’re proud it’s playing a role in rewilding the seas alongside Parley for the Oceans so they can be enjoyed by generations to come,” said Katie Nagar, National Whisky Ambassador, Diageo.
As mentioned, it continues with a collaboration for the ages, Parley for the Oceans (you might recognise the name from their adidas work) undertook an expedition to one of the world’s largest sea kelp forests near the Cape of Good Hope with support from Talisker. The mission ship explored ‘The Great African Sea Forest’, where the team of scientists, activists and filmmakers took a dive into its depths.
On board the ship were Talisker cask staves – later charred using a small amount of sustainably farmed Scottish sea kelp and stave wood shavings – these were used in the finishing of the whisky during maturation. Finally, the 44-Year-Old dram was finished in these marine oak casks before bottling.
“Kelp forests are the planet’s underwater architects and a powerful blue carbon force within the ecosystem that makes Earth habitable. They
support biodiversity and sequester and store carbon dioxide more efficiently than rainforests. This very special and rare edition of Talisker whisky is a tribute to the beauty and fragility of these great forests of the deep, and our collaborative mission to support their protection,” said Cyril Gutsch, Founder & CEO of Parley for the Oceans.
Talisker 44YO: Forests of the Deep Single Malt Scotch Whisky is bottled at an ABV of 43.8% and is available in Australia at an RRP of $5,750 online and in leading independent liquor stores right now. We’ve included two of our favourite online retailers stocking the whisky below. To learn more about Talisker and Parley for the Ocean’s on-going collaboration, check out this link.
Buy it here (Master of Malt) Buy it here (The Whisky Exchange)
Image: Talisker 44-Year-Old: Forests of the Deep | Diageo
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