Talisker Glacial Edge 45 Year Old49.8%

An enchanting and beautifully aged expression from the Isle of Skyes oldest distillery, Talisker. As well as being aged for over four and a half decades, this experimental release is thought to be the first in the world to make use of ice-fractured casks. The distillery dropped 12 ex-Canadian whisky barrels in the Arctic, exposing them to the extreme elements for 96 hours. They were then transported back to Talisker and used to finish this release. A portion of profits from the sale will be donated to Parley, an organisation that champions marine conservation. Just 2,455 bottles of this highly unusual whisky have been released globally.

Tasting note:

Nose: Dry and mellow with seaweed, sand dunes and a mineral composition along with fig, sultana and prunes.

Palate: Smooth and mouth-filling and initially richly sweet. Pepper develops on the mid-palate before salted caramel and a wisp of smoke comes through.

Finish: Very long, with candle wax, chilli pepper and that faint aromatic smoke.