Every month I write about a special drink that I've had somewhere in my travels. This month's offering takes us on a tour of the Talisker Scotch Whisky Factory on the wild, wind-swept and mountainous Scottish Isle of Skye.
After a guided tour through the distillery with its five gleaming copper stills and aged oak barrels, a sample of the smoky, fiery brew is offered. The first sip almost explodes in your mouth, spicy but with a slight sweetness. The water, drawn from a stream on the island purified from running through boggy marshes contributes to the smoky aroma and spicy taste.
Talisker suggest a small drop of pure water to release the flavours but to never add ice or any other mixer to the drink. A favourite story on the tour is that the whisky sits in the barrels for a minimum of ten years with some sitting there for periods of well over 20 and 30 years. Each year around two percent of the whisky is lost soaking into the barrel known delightfully as the angel's share. So a hearty cheers for this famed Scottish drink at this month's drinks party.
