It appears that the Isle of Skye's one and only Talisker has got something rather fiery coming our way - a 47 Year Old Talisker Magma!

Very curiously though, it appears that this very well-aged whisky has been finished in casks toasted by the volcanic rocks of Skye!

Now, where have we heard that one before?

Ah yes, 2025's Diageo Special Releases!

That year's collection featured a 14 Year Old Talisker - named Molten Seas - that too was finished in American oak casks toasted by the heat of volcanic rocks from Skye. Well, then it seems like the folks at Talisker have decided to chuck a bunch of whiskies for the project and make full use of these very fiery casks!

And so if the 14 Year Old Diageo Special Release Talisker is anything to go by, the process would look something like this - the casks being toasted over a cage that is packed with these super-heated 2000°C volcanic basalt rocks which came from a quarry on Skye. Perhaps the biggest stunner here is how someone cracked up the idea and managed to convince the distillery to actually go through with it!

Consequently, the same 14 Year Old Diageo Special Release Talisker is said to have tasting notes as follows:

Nose: Mellow yet forward nose, dry in feel, with light prickle and maritime and mineral top notes. As the liquid breathes, the aroma becomes fruitier with a hint of white grape, while light vegetal notes suggest parsnip, and the nose feel becomes drier. A drop of water increases maritime notes and adds peat.

Taste: Smoothly creamy in texture, with a pleasing mellow taste that is markedly sweet and salty, quickly developing a controlled peppery feel, with hints of peat. Smoother and sweeter with water, yet still spicy.

Finish: Lengthy, drying and lightly peppery, with a kick of spicy pink pepper and a faint smoky memory of peat in the aftertaste. All characters increase with a dash of water.

Whilst these are all just indicative ideas about what the 47 Year Old Talisker Magma might actually taste like, what we do know is that it'll be bottled at 48.8% ABV, with 622 bottles to be released!

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team