Gordon & MacPhail has bottled its final Talisker. This 39-year-old single cask from 1987 is confirmed as the last whisky the Elgin bottler will ever release under the Talisker name, and it is one of the oldest Taliskers ever released. Distilled on 3 March 1987, matured in a single refill sherry butt, cask no. 22601101, and bottled at cask strength of 51.4% ABV on 30 April 2026. There are 451 bottles worldwide, priced at £1,250 each, presented under a revived version of the original black Connoisseurs Choice label.
That is the headline, and it carries more weight than most limited releases. Independent bottlings of Talisker have always been scarce, and this one draws a line under one of the more storied bottler-distillery pairings in Scotch.
Why “the last ever” is more than a marketing line
Independent bottlings of Talisker have always been scarce. Talisker is a Diageo distillery, produced on the Isle of Skye, and independent bottlers rarely get to put a Diageo name on a label, which is why old G&M Taliskers have always been treated as rarities rather than routine releases.
This is a farewell rather than the end of a running series. Bottlings from Talisker had been absent from the Connoisseurs Choice range for several decades, and this single cask brings that chapter to a close for good. As Stuart Urquhart, Operations Director at Gordon & MacPhail, put it, the release marks a poignant moment: a final single cask from the distillery after a long absence, and a rare chance for collectors to own the last piece of G&M’s history with Talisker.
It also sits within a wider shift. Since 2024, Gordon & MacPhail has stopped buying new-make spirit from other distilleries for independent bottling, concentrating instead on its own two distilleries, Benromach and The Cairn. The company still holds a deep inventory of older casks and will keep releasing independent bottlings for years, but the Talisker stock has now reached its end. For a bottler that has filled its own casks with spirit from more than 100 distilleries since 1895, closing the book on a name like Talisker is a genuine milestone, not a press-release flourish.
The black label and the Connoisseurs Choice story
The Connoisseurs Choice range is where a lot of this history lives. George Urquhart launched it in 1968, bottling single malts at a time when the market ran almost entirely on blends. The whisky writer Charles MacLean later called Urquhart the father of single malt, and the description is not far off. Since then the range has featured more than 2,000 bottlings from almost 100 Scottish distilleries, and the early black labels went on to acquire near-mythical status among collectors.
This release, part of the Connoisseurs Choice Heritage series, deliberately revives that original black-label design. The critic Serge Valentin, reviewing it as “yet another marvel,” noted the pleasure of seeing the old black CC labels again, the ones used in the 1970s before the brown banner labels and the later map labels, and added that there is something rather chic about bottling a whisky at 39 years rather than holding it a few more months to print “40” on the label.
It follows the Connoisseurs Choice Heritage 1968 from Longmorn, a 57-year-old released earlier in 2026, which set the template for the Heritage strand: very old stock, historically significant distilleries, and packaging that references the range’s origins.
What Talisker brings to a 39-year-old sherry cask
Talisker has distilled on the shores of Loch Harport, on Skye, since 1830. The house style is built on medium-peated malt, unusually long worm-tub condensers and reflux-boosting boil balls on the stills, which together produce a spirit that is smoky, peppery and distinctly maritime. Talisker’s own 10 Year Old is the reference point most drinkers know, all sea salt and cracked pepper.
What makes this bottling unusual is the cask. Nearly four decades in a single refill sherry butt is a long time for any spirit, and refill wood tends to season slowly rather than dominate. The result, according to G&M, is dried fruit, spice and nuttiness layered over Talisker’s coastal backbone rather than smothering it. At 39 years old and cask strength, this is a very different proposition from the peppery young 10 Year Old.
Gordon & MacPhail Talisker 1987 tasting notes
These are Gordon & MacPhail’s official tasting notes. We have not tasted this release.
Nose: Fragrant raisin, clove spice, a hint of leather, tangerine zest, walnut, prunes
Palate: Jammy figs, vibrant strawberries, cracked black pepper, subtle cocoa, pressed apple, dried tobacco
Finish: Full and spicy, with lingering citrus and a hint of ash
ABV: 51.4% (cask strength) | Cask: Single refill sherry butt, no. 22601101 | Age: 39 years | Distilled: 3 March 1987 | Bottled: 30 April 2026 | Outturn: 451 bottles | Price: £1,250
Price and availability
The Gordon & MacPhail Talisker 1987 is priced at £1,250 per bottle, with an outturn of 451 bottles worldwide. It is available to purchase directly from gordonandmacphail.com, and as a Connoisseurs Choice Heritage release it is sold through G&M’s own channels and its network of specialist retailers rather than in general distribution, with allocations per market typically small. International buyers in Europe, the US and beyond should expect to source it through specialist independent retailers that ship worldwide, as availability at this level is spread thin across markets.
If the earlier Longmorn 1968 is any guide, stock of a bottling this rare moves quickly, and G&M has encouraged interested buyers to register interest rather than wait.
Is it worth £1,250?
This is not a bottle bought for value-per-dram, and it does not pretend to be. It is bought for what it represents: a 39-year-old Talisker at cask strength, from a single cask, wearing the original black label that made these bottlings famous, and carrying the finality of being the last Talisker G&M will ever release.
For the collector who tracks independent Taliskers, or anyone who has a soft spot for old Connoisseurs Choice bottlings, £1,250 for a 39-year-old single cask of a Diageo distillery is, in the context of official Talisker releases of comparable age, not unreasonable. Official Talisker bottlings of this vintage tend to sit considerably higher. For a drinker chasing flavour per pound, there are far better everyday options, and no one should pretend otherwise.
Who it’s for: collectors of independent Talisker and Connoisseurs Choice history, and anyone who wants to own the end of the G&M–Talisker story. Who it isn’t for: drinkers looking for a bottle to open on a Tuesday.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Gordon & MacPhail Talisker 1987? It is a 39-year-old single malt from Talisker distillery on the Isle of Skye, independently bottled by Gordon & MacPhail. Distilled in 1987 and bottled in 2026 at 51.4% ABV from a single refill sherry cask, it is confirmed as G&M’s final Talisker release.
Why is this the last ever Talisker from Gordon & MacPhail? Since 2024, Gordon & MacPhail has stopped sourcing spirit from other distilleries for independent bottling, focusing instead on its own Benromach and The Cairn distilleries. This 1987 cask is the last of its Talisker stock, making it the final Talisker G&M will release under that name.
How much does the Gordon & MacPhail Talisker 1987 cost? It is priced at £1,250 per bottle, with a total outturn of 451 bottles. As a rare independent Talisker of this age, it is positioned below official Talisker releases of comparable vintage, which typically command higher prices.
What does the Gordon & MacPhail Talisker 1987 taste like? According to G&M’s official notes, the nose offers raisin, clove, tangerine and figs; the palate brings strawberries, black pepper, cocoa and pressed apple; and the finish is full and spicy with lingering citrus and a hint of ash. It was matured in a refill sherry cask at cask strength.
What is the Connoisseurs Choice Heritage series? It is a Gordon & MacPhail range that revives the black Connoisseurs Choice label of the range’s early years, applied to very old and historically significant single casks. This Talisker follows the Connoisseurs Choice Heritage 1968 from Longmorn, a 57-year-old released earlier in 2026.
Where can I buy the Gordon & MacPhail Talisker 1987? It is sold through Gordon & MacPhail and its network of specialist retailers rather than general distribution, with limited allocations per market. International buyers should look to specialist whisky retailers that ship worldwide. With 451 bottles across all markets, registering interest early is advisable.
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