Port Ellen 24 years 1982 - 2007 The Whisky Fair 5cl

Tasting notes Serge Valentin: 91/100 (WhiskyFun.com) 

In a certain way, it’s great to have a tempo di mierda these days, that gives us the occasion to try our most warming whiskies right in the middle of summer.

Colour: white wine. Nose: phew, this is extremely powerful! (nice notes of golden delicious apples and lemonade, though). So powerful that we’ll add a little water right away. Right, this is definitely not a very smoky and peaty Port Ellen. It’s more on almondy notes as well as more apples, apple skin, wet chalk, shoe polish, a distant sherry (more echoes of it), sultanas… The peat smoke is more here as seasoning so to speak. And always litres of lemonade… Quite different from most Port Ellens we’re used to but still great.

Mouth (neat): fab, really fab. Drinkable if you take very small sips, all on lemon, almonds, marzipan and all sorts of smoked ‘things’ plus notes of sultanas, probably from the sherry (certainly no first fill, that is). With water: same flavours, just toned down. Lemon, marzipan, sultanas, apples… The balance is perfect and the whisky tastes somewhat like if it had spent twenty years in glass (typical OBE on old Islayers). Surprising! Anyway, another very good, and very interesting PE by Carsten and gang. No wonder he’s a big PE collector. Very solid – and valid – cask selection.

Port Ellen Distillery

Port Ellen Distillery is located on the south coast of the island of Islay, near the village of the same name. Founded in 1825 by Alexander Kerr Mackay and later taken over by John Ramsay in 1836, Port Ellen has a rich history, but sadly closed in 1983. The distillery quickly gained legendary status among whisky lovers.

A specific feature of Port Ellen was its pronounced peat smoke, resulting in whiskies with a deep, smoky flavour. The distillery used traditional copper pot stills and used water from the nearby Leorin Lochs. The whiskies were mainly matured in ex-bourbon casks, which contributed to the balance of sweet and smoky notes.

Port Ellen whiskies are known for their complex flavour profiles with notes of seaweed, medicinal smoke, sea salt and a subtle sweetness. Despite the closure, the remaining bottles remain in high demand and are often seen as collectibles and investment items.

The reopening of the distillery, on 19 March 2024, has raised much anticipation among whisky lovers worldwide, who are hoping for a revival of this iconic Islay single malt whisky.