Talisker 30 was first released in 2006 and reappeared more or less annually under the Diageo Special Releases programme for the next decade, becoming one of the most consistent very-old island bottlings on the market. Each release has been bottled at cask strength, without chill-filtration or added colour, from a mixture of refill American and European oak.
The distillery's history is one of fires, rebuildings and steady survival. Founded in 1830 at Carbost on the shore of Loch Harport, Talisker burned down in 1960 when a still ran dry and exploded. The stillhouse was rebuilt to exact specifications, preserving the unusual U-bend lyne arms on the wash stills that contribute to the heavy, peppery spirit. The whiskies in the 30 year old releases were distilled in the years following that rebuild.
What separates the 30 from the older 35 and 40 year olds is balance. At thirty years the Talisker character is still recognisably present — pepper, smoke, salt — but it has gained the depth and waxiness that long maritime ageing on Skye provides. It is not a delicate whisky in the way the 40 has become; it remains a Talisker, only quieter and more considered.
For drinkers who want a serious aged Talisker without venturing into auction-house territory, the 30 has long been the obvious answer.
