Talisker 1978 The Bodega Series: Extremely Limited Releases

History created by the elements

Speaking of iconic and classic Scottish whisky, it is difficult not to mention Talisker. Talisker is a product of Scotland's relentless landscape and the strength of the indomitable people. Talisker is an indispensable part of both local culture and heritage, but also with a place in history books both nationally and internationally.

Talisker was founded by brothers Hugh and Kenneth MacAskill in Carbost on the island of Skye near the west coast of Scotland. The brothers rented Talisker in 1857, but despite several examples of poor leasing and operation, Talisker nevertheless became among the best-selling single malt distilleries in the country up to the turn of the century. The success brought resources to better infrastructure in the form of the distillery's own quay as an easily accessible gateway to the distillery's markets.

The 20th century offered both a closure of the distillery during World War II due to lack of barley and fire in the distillery's boiler house, but despite the hardships, Talisker persisted. Even in the 1980s, when many other distilleries had to close down because of a lack of global interest in single malt whisky, Talisker managed to keep their whiskey current and stands today as one of the largest Scottish whisky brands.

Talisker Bodega Series - A Love Child Between Sherry And Whisky

Talisker is an exciting distillery, whether the whiskey lover is looking for the good everyday dram or wants to explore the finest of Scottish single malt. Talisker reportedly has an annual production of 3.5 million liters of spirits. However, when talking about the most prestigious Talisker can present the amount is totally different.

Last June, Talisker presented their Talisker 1978 Bodega Series where the first release, of course, turned 40 years. Bodega Series is a series celebrating Talisker's close relationship with Spanish sherry houses and sherry casks since its inception in 1830. The special casks, used in an extraordinary three-month storage phase for this particular series, have a past in the solera system* for aging Quo Vadis at Delgado Zuleta - one of the oldest and most distinguished sherry producers in the world.

Naturally, it is a rarity that solera-casks are used for Scotch whisky. Being casks from one of the finest sherries in the world at the same time just makes this series even more unique. According to the few privileged people who have been lucky enough to taste, this is the perfect love child between Talisker's elegance and Quo Vadi's complexity.

* Solera is a storage system where several casks are stacked on top of one another, which allows young spirits to be poured on continuously as the rip is drained. The system is particularly well known from the production of sherry and rum.

A Rare Treasure

Talisker's 1978 Bodega Series was launched last year with a 40-year edition only released in 2,000 bottles worldwide. This year came the sequel; Talisker 1978 Bodega Series 41 years, also released only in 2,000 bottles. Whether more releases will come, and if so how many, can only be guessed at, but the amount of whiskey remaining in Talisker's cellars with 40 years and more must be very limited, which is why these releases must be considered rare Talisker treasures. If the series is expanded and if you are seeking investment in a complete collection, this is an important opportunity to invest in the first releases and secure ownership of portions of the only 2,000-bottle small releases.

Also Read: New Port Ellen Release: Older and Rare Than Ever!

Invest in “The Sweet Spot”

When it comes to investing in whisky, just like investing in wine, there are some very fundamental characteristics that, in our belief, should be present. Including the right vintage (age), limited production / release and to some extent that the whisky is cask strict (not diluted = more concentrated product).

When looking for the most obvious investment, there are several different features that are important, depending on who the future buyer is. The more of these features a whisky contains, the closer it hits to the ‘sweet spot’, which creates optimal conditions for a good investment. See the following model here:

When it comes to investment whisky, satisfying the “drinker segment” is a certain, as towering quality is a natural thing. If you look instead at the Talisker 1978 Bodega Series from respectively an investor and collector's point of view, this series has all the features that makes it attractive to them. The investor is looking for limited editions, high quality, single casks whisky and iconic distilleries. Talisker 1978 Bodega Series is very limited with only 2,000 bottles per release, combined with Talisker's usual towering quality and single malt from single casks. And Talisker definitely qualify as an iconic distillery.

From the collector's point of view, several similar features are important, but what is also exciting for the collector is complete collections, which is a great opportunity to build with the Talisker 1978 Bodega Series. Investment in the first releases ensures the opportunity to create a complete collection. On the other hand, if a complete collection is not obtained, the first releases will probably later become the most sought after, since the passage of time has the effect of lowering the supply and thus the oldest bottles will also become the most rare and difficult to find.

Popular As Never Before

Whisky, and especially the investment-grade portion, seems more popular than ever and one whisky record after another has been set lately. Last fall, the world's most expensive whisky collection worth more than € 15 million was registered by Guinness Book of Records. This December it was announced that another collection under the name "The Perfect Collection" would be put up for auction for an estimate of approx. € 9.5 million, making it the most expensive collection for sale ever. Earlier in the year, a perhaps more astonishing record was broken when a 1926 bottle of Macallan was auctioned for € 1.6 million. Add to that the stories of The Macallan Lalique collections sold for millions, if they can be obtained at all.

These may be some of the most staggering examples from the whiskey markets, but they nevertheless serve as good examples of buyers around the world finding the best, rarest and most prestigious whiskeys.

Rare Wine Invest's Opinion

The interest and demand for the best and rarest whiskys, especially from the iconic Scottish distilleries, is interesting from an investment perspective. If you want to invest in whisky, there are many good options, but there can sometimes be far between the dots if you want them to meet as many as possible of the basic features that create the essential for solid returns.

Talisker qualifies to this extent with the latest 1978 Bodega Series, with solid cask strength, extremely limited production and from an iconic distiller resembles a whisky that can be particularly sought after by whisky lovers of the future. Especially taking into account that there are only 2,000 bottles per release on the marked and gradually many will disappear.

The 1978 Bodega Series also gives the whisky investor the opportunity to get a hold of the series from the start and ensures the ability to assemble a complete collection, which historically tends to be at the highest price, whether it is whisky, baseball cards or other collector's items. However, should the series not be expanded with multiple releases, the complete collection can be secured here and now.

Incidentally, Talisker is owned by Diageo, the world's largest liquor producer. Diageo has more than any other interest in spreading awareness of and demand for, for example, Talisker's top whiskys and also has both the capacity and resources for just this - a strong partner for the investor.