Isle of Skye Single Malt 20YO (((Bottled 2002)))
⏳ Drinking Window
Bottled at its peak maturity, this exceptional single malt is ready to be enjoyed immediately and will keep indefinitely if stored upright in a cool, dark place.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Smoked salmon, mature blue cheese, dark chocolate
✨ Technical Specifications
This legendary 20-year-old single malt from Talisker, bottled in 2002 at a robust cask strength of 58.8% ABV, is highly revered by collectors and whisky enthusiasts as a benchmark of the distillery's older style. Distilled on the windswept shores of the Isle of Skye, this expression captures the wild, maritime essence of its coastal home. The distillery's unique wash stills and traditional wooden worm tubs impart a heavy, oily texture to the spirit. Two decades of slow maturation in refill American oak casks have beautifully integrated Talisker's signature fiery peat smoke and coastal brine with deep, complex notes of beeswax, tropical fruits, and a warming, cracked black pepper finish. It stands as a testament to the transformative power of long-term aging in Skye's damp, salty warehouses.
🍾 About the Producer
Perched on the rugged shores of Loch Harport on the Minginish Peninsula of the Isle of Skye, Talisker stands as the island's oldest operating single malt Scotch whisky distillery. Established in 1830 by brothers Hugh and Kenneth MacAskill, the distillery has continually navigated fires, isolation, and shifting industry tides while retaining its fierce maritime identity. Talisker's microclimate is distinctly Hebridean, defined by relentless coastal winds, saline sea air, and peaty soft water drawn from Cnoc nan Speireag. The distillation setup is uniquely configured: five copper pot stills with distinctive U-shaped lye pipes and exterior wooden worm tubs encourage copper contact and sulphur removal, yet foster a rich, muscular body. Medium-peated malt pairs with this distillation geometry to produce Talisker's unmistakable signature of briny sea spray, cracked black pepper, dried fruit, and warming smoke, epitomized by its classic 10 Year Old, venerable 25 and 30 Year Old editions, and experimental coastal cask maturations.