While it might feel like every other week that a distillery is releasing a record-breaking whisky, those whiskies weren’t finished in barrels that crossed the Atlantic on a yacht. Well, one Isle of Skye based distillery has done just that, releasing the Talisker 43-Year-Old Xpedition Oak, the oldest drop that has ever been bottled by the brand.
Already this year, we’ve seen a lot of very old, very expensive whisky that has been released. Just in the last month, we saw the release of the Yamazaki 55 ($90,000 RRP), the Gordon & MacPhail Generations 80 (circa $200,000) and a 71-year-old Macallan ($113,000), making it an expensive month for the most die-hard of whisky fans.
In contrast, the Talisker 43-Year-Old Xpedition Oak is significantly more affordable at $5,750, with a limited number of just 1,830 bottles that will be released of the rare whisky. Described as having the signature Talisker, “peppery sea salt smoky sweetness,” the scotch was finished in barrels that were transported across the Atlantic ocean on the yacht of adventurer James Aiken.
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In 2020, Aiken set out to complete a 3,264-mile journey across the Atlantic, following the same route the rowers of the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge. It was the first time Aiken had attempted such a long stint at sea, and he carried wooden staves and sections of casks that were to be used as the final resting place of the 43-year-old whisky before it was bottled.
The journey took Aiken from the Canary Islands on the west coast of Africa to Antigua in the Caribbean, where he finished his 24-day voyage. Not only is the whisky aged in the barrel components that made this expedition, but a piece of the staves will accompany each bottle sold.
The 43-Year-Old Talisker features deep amber notes of colour, while on the nose brings a slight spiciness and hints of bruised apple. Once sipped, the full-bodied whisky will deliver a maritime splash of salt spray and the smoky vibrance that Talisker is so well known for.
The Talisker 43-Year-Old Xpedition Oak will be available from independent liquor stores and Dan Murphy’s from the 20th of September, with an RRP of $5,750.
