Every month I write about a special drink that I've had somewhere in my travels. This month's offering takes us on a tour of the Talisker Scotch Whisky Factory on the wild, wind-swept and mountainous Scottish Isle of Skye.
After a guided tour through the distillery with its five gleaming copper stills and aged oak barrels, a sample of the smoky, fiery brew is offered. The first sip almost explodes in your mouth, spicy but with a slight sweetness. The water, drawn from a stream on the island purified from running through boggy marshes contributes to the smoky aroma and spicy taste.
Talisker suggest a small drop of pure water to release the flavours but to never add ice or any other mixer to the drink. A favourite story on the tour is that the whisky sits in the barrels for a minimum of ten years with some sitting there for periods of well over 20 and 30 years. Each year around two percent of the whisky is lost soaking into the barrel known delightfully as the angel's share.
So a hearty cheers for this famed Scottish drink at this month's drinks party.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Drinks Around the World: Talisker Scotch Whisky (Scotland)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
14 comments:
Oh, wonderful! Cheers!!!!! Last time we were in Scotland, we were at Skye!!!
...and the Whisky were needed - I remember I had my stitches from the appendix surgery removed while being there.... by a very bearded doctor, but skilled! *giggles*
@lifecruiser: It is OK to drink whiksy purely for medicinal purposes.
I'm such a Whisky wimp, it almost always makes me choke. But there was this one place - Loch Fyne? - in Scotland where the Whisky was like CANDY. Yes, it was that smooth. ...I gotta get back to Scotland one of these days.
Thanks for this post; it brought back a great memory.
I'm not much of a whiskey drinker but I'd enjoy visiting the distillery. However, I discovered that good scotch whiskey makes a difference when I participated in a whiskey tasting at Lion Sands in South Africa. http://myitchytravelfeet.com/2009/01/07/exploring-in-luxury-at-ivory-lodge/
Lovely location. Don't know how I'd do on the whiskey, though!
@donna: The tour is fairly good. The setting on the Isle of Skye is to die for.
@footsteps: Absolutely beautiful location. Wild Scotland at its finest.
Definitely better you than me, since I've been sober for 14 years! Interesting to read about, though.
Looks strong. Whiskey always intimidates me. I haven't gotten into it but think it's like developing a taste for wine or along those lines.
@anil: I think it is a taste you develop as well. I knew nothing of it till I lived in Britain and a flatmate was a bit of an afficionado. He started me on my occasional enjoyment of a nip or two of this fine spirit.
well, I daily meet so many travelers and tourists and even expats in London UK, which use our airport pickup, airport transfer, and even coach hire, minibus hire and limo hire service for wine tours in Scotland, seems, I should be planning my 3rd trip to Sctoland soon too :D
Hi,
I agree, its a taste we develop but again it varies from one person to another, Love scottish whiskey, I am going Turkey and Cyprus and let's see how I find their local drinks :)
Thanks
Natasha
London UK
Bathroom Accessories
I can't drink whiskey any more after a bit of a horrible experience ( tequila too ), but had some nice scotch whiskeys in my time.
Rich
Farm and Cottage Holidays
Sow nothing, reap nothing.
-----------------------------------
Brown
-----------------------------------------------------------
Hey incredibly awesome blog! Guy Lovely Wonderful I will bookmark your blog and consider the feeds also.
Post a Comment