Talisker’s excellent 25-year-old whisky continues the reputation for greatness. Carefully balancing the distillery’s seaside, salt and pepper character against elegant oak and delicate fruity notes, it’s a masterclass in ageing with a delightfully old-fashioned air. This whisky is a marriage of American bourbon barrels, Spanish sherry casks, and Talisker’s seaside location. The whiskies in this single malt spend a minimum of 25 years resting in old bourbon and sherry barrels a few short steps from the sea in the Isle of Skye. Talisker’s tiny warehouse feels a bit like an old pirate ship that’s seen too many sea battles and that aura is imbued into every barrel as it matures.