Port Ellen 35 years 1977 - 2012 The Platinum Selection

Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Port Ellen 35 years 1977 - 2012 The Platinum Selection
  • Port Ellen 35 years 1977 - 2012 The Platinum Selection
  • Port Ellen 35 years 1977 - 2012 The Platinum Selection

Port Ellen 35 years 1977 - 2012 The Platinum Selection

Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

BottlerDouglas Laing
Distillery / brandPort Ellen
RangeOld & Rare - The Platinum Selection
CountryScotland
RegionIslay
Content Size0.7 liter
Alc/vol50.4%
Age35 years
Distilled08-1977
Bottled11-2012
Cask typeRefill Hogshead
Number of bottles199
EAN5014218788549
Out of stock

Tasting notes by Serge Valentin (WhiskyFun.com) 87/100

Colour: gold.

Nose: this one's as terpenic, mentholaded, camphory and then kippery as an old peater can be. Also damp earth - well, mud - thuja wood (new Moroccan chessboard straight from the souk ;-)) and a wide assortment of grandma's cough syrups and lozenges. Behind all that, apples, verbena and maybe touches of very old dry white wine. The high menthol, which I love in the nose, can lead to a problem on the palate, we'll see... Too much oak? With water: one word only, yellow chartreuse. All right, and wet wool. And plasticine.

Mouth (neat): oily, the mint and the liquorice are back, but the oak is kept at bay, great news. So it's extractive but in a great way. Granted, there's quite some plasticine as well, putty, paraffin but all that is under control and it then unfolds on the expected tarry and salty liquorice, while always keeping some menthol on the side. Less kippery than others. With water: not quite, this time it's having a little trouble, becoming slightly disjointed and maybe too briny, in a way. More drying oak and tea too. Water brought out much more brine.

Finish: long, salty. Seawater and tea.

Comments: not the sharpest/cleanest, and not the most complex ever either, but this oldie still delivers. Again, careful with water.

Port Ellen 35 years 1977 - 2012 The Platinum Selection

Port Ellen 35 years 1977 - 2012 The Platinum Selection