World: Diageo releases its oldest Talisker single malt Scotch whisky

The rare whisky, which was “created as a reflection on the power and beauty of our oceans” has been nurtured for over four decades and finished in marine oak casks, with only 1,997 bottles being available globally.

Talisker 44-Year-Old: Forests of the Deep, has been inspired by an expedition led by Parley for the Oceans, Talisker’s partner in ocean conservation, to one of the world’s largest sea kelp forests near the Cape of Good Hope.

Cyril Gutsch, founder & CEO at Parley said: “Kelp forests are the planet’s underwater architects, and a powerful blue carbon force within the ecosystem that makes Earth habitable. They support biodiversity and sequester and store carbon dioxide more efficiently than the rainforests. This very special and rare edition of Talisker whisky is a tribute to the beauty and fragility of these great forests of the deep, and our collaborative mission to support their protection.”

Whisky expert and writer Dave Broom added: “This is a fascinating, bold, beautifully mature Talisker made in the old, bold, defiant style. Some whiskies become refined and elegant with time, others lighten and move into an ethereal state. A few however, move in the opposite direction, becoming richer, more complex and concentrated versions of themselves. This is all about how Talisker’s distillery character shifts over time, refusing to become conventionally beautiful. Instead the oils are magnified, savoury elements emerge, and the smoke is retained, binding it all together. It is sweet, savoury, smoky and saline... and deep. It is Talisker on full power with an energy that is remarkable for its age, a true distillation of place.”

Talisker 44-Year-Old: Forests of the Deep Single malt Scotch whisky will be available globally retailing at £3,800 per bottle.