Second Talisker Bodega Series Scotch Is A 41 Year Old Whisky Offering

Diaego last year fired up a new luxury whisky series through its Talisker distillery that explores the interplay of old Scotch with different types of sherry cask finishes. Known as the Bodega line up, the 2018 offering was a 40-year-old finished in very old ex-Amontillado sherry casks. The 2019 release, set to hit retail in August, is slightly older and tied to ex-Manzanilla sherry casks.

The new Talisker 41 Year Old, according to those behind it, was distilled back in 1978, and is noted for being the oldest official single malt to date from this distillery. It is said Talisker’s Master of Malt, Dr Craig Wilson, helped to craft this bottling, working alongside sherry experts from Bodega Delgado Zuleta, the oldest sherry producer in the Sherry Triangle (more specifically in the Marco de Jerez region, next to the coastal town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda). They hand picked six “exceptional” ex-sherry casks that “once held the Bodega’s flagship wine La Goya, a very fine Manzanilla aged in casks more than a century old,” to finish the Talisker in for an undisclosed amount of time.

“This Talisker Bodega Series launch brings luxury and adventure in equal measure with this exclusive sherry cask finished 41-year-old liquid,” said Anna MacDonald, Marketing and Innovation Director, Diageo Global Travel, in a prepared statement, “retaining the unmistakeable quality and character of Talisker and its appeal to wild spirits everywhere. As a limited edition, this is a unique and rare offering for the travellers who enjoy the finer things in life.”

Plans call for just 2,000 bottles to be released globally of the Talisker 41 Year Old, each pricing £2,600 (around $3,270 USD) and bottled at 50.7% ABV. Limited official tasting notes suggest that “the nose carries the sweet fruitiness of sultanas and orange peel framed by sandalwood, with a tang of salty sea air and smoky raw sugar. The taste offers a fine balance between sweetness and smoke. The finish is generously warming and sustained, with a drying, softly smoky conclusion.”