Talisker Distillery

Back to previous page
General
Pronunciation ’talisker Pronunciation
Translation
Region Highlands
Distiller Talisker Distillery Co. Ltd.
Owner United Distillers & Vintners (UDV) (Diageo plc)
Address Carbost
Isle of Skye
IV47 8SR
Scotland
Telephone +44 (0)1478 - 61 43 08
+44 (0)1478 - 61 43 02 (Fax)
LatLong 57° 18’ 08.2” N   06° 21’ 18.9” W
Altitude 3 m
Grid Reference NG377318
Website www.discovering-distilleries.com
www.malts.com
E-mail
Open to public January - March : mo - fr tours by appointment only (last tour 15:30)
Easter - June : mo - sa 09:30 - 17:00 (last tour 1 hour before closing time)
July - August : mo - sa 09:30 - 17:00, su 12:30 - 17:00 (last tour 1 hour before closing time)
November - December : mo - fr tours by appointment only (last tour 15:30)
Closed between Christmas and New Year
Admission chargedSource : Discovering Distilleries 2008 leaflet
Remarks

History
1831-32
Founded by Hugh & Kenneth MacAskill (1830 mentioned as well)
1833
Hugh MacAskill licensee
1854
Hugh MacAskill died
1862
Distillery transferred to Donald MacLennan
1863
Donald MacLennan went bankrupt
1868
Purchased by Anderson & Co.
1876
Anderson & Co. dissolved
1880
Acquired by Roderick Kemp; & Co., a partnership between Alexander Grigor Allan and Roderick Kemp. A lot of money was invested in refitting and rebuilding the distillery
1880-87
Rebuilt
1880
The Whisky is mentioned in "The Scotsman’s Return from Abroad", a poem by R.L. Stevenson
1892
The entire ownership went over to Alexander Grigor Allan after Kemp bought the Macallan-Glenlivet Distillery. He, Allan, merged it with the Dailuaine Distillery to form the Dailuaine-Talisker Distilleries. This company built a pier, a tramway to link the pier to the distillery and houses for the employees and an excise officer
1895
Lease transferred to the Talisker Distillery Co. Ltd.
1898
Merged in Dailuaine-Talisker Distilleries Ltd.
1900
Distillery extended
1914
Feu charter secured
1916
Majority interest transferred to a consortium of the ’Big Three’ blenders and the Distillers Company Ltd. (DCL)
1925
Absorbed by the Distillers Company Ltd. (DCL)
....
Still licensed to Dailuaine-Talisker, but operated by Scottish Malt Distillers Ltd. (SMD)
1928
Triple distilation was practised until 1928
1960
Rebuilt after a fire in the still house. Five stills
1972
Own Floor Maltings demolished. All stills became steamheated
1988
Visitor centre opened
1992
Licensed to Talisker Distillery Co. Ltd.
1999
Owned by United Distillers & Vintners (UDV)
2004
Owned by Diageo plc

Technical Specifications
General Water Source
for production coming from a burn coming from Cnoc nan Speireag (Hawkshill), for cooling from the Carbost Burn
  Annual Output 1,800,000 of alcohol (May 2006)
  Finished Spirit (phenols)
  Blending Roles
mainly single malt, blend (Johnnie Walker Black Label and Blue Label)
Malt Malt Source
  Malt Type
  Malt Specification (phenols) 18-20 ppm
  Own Malting Floor
  Malt Storage
Mill Porteus
  Grist Storage
Mashing Mash Tun 1 lauter type with a copperdome installed in 1998
  Mash Size
  First Water 64°C
  Second Water 75°C
  Third Water 85°C
  Fourth Water
Fermentation Washbacks 6 made of Oregon Pine, with a capacity of 53,000 litres each
  Washback Charge
  Yeast distillers
  Amount of Yeast
  Length of Fermentation
  Initial Fermentation Temp.
  Strength of Wash
Distillation Wash Stills 2, 14,706 litres, steamheated, with a construction in the lyne pipes that works as a purifier
  Wash Still Built
  Wash Still Charge
  Heat Source
  Wash Still Height
  Lyne Arm
  Low Wines Run
  Low Wines Collection Range
  Spirit Stills
3, 11,024 litres, steamheated
  Spirit Still Built
  Spirit Still Charge
  Strength of Spirit Still Charge
  Heat Source
  Spirit Still Height
  Lyne Arm
  Coolers wormtubs, 2 large for the the wash stills, 3 smaller for the spirit stills
  Foreshot Run 20 minutes
  Spirit Run 76% - 75%
  Feints Run 65% - 66%
  Spirit Cut
  Distilling Strength
Storage Storage Strength
  Average Spirit Yield
  Disposal of Pot Ale/Spent Lees
  Type of Casks bourbon, sherry, refill bourbon, refill sherry, sometimes wine casks, Amoroso Sherry
  Warehouses
  Vatting and Bottling Location vatting in Glasgow



Sources used