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Port Ellen Distillery
Port Ellen,
Isle of Islay
PA42 7AH

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Owner: United Distillers & Vintners (Diageo)

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Creation date 1825

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photos

	Port-Ellen
			Sample
O.B.	Rare Malts 22 years	18 1/3
	4th release	19
	28 years, Seventh release (2007)		19
Acorn	Acorn's natural malt selection, 24 years	19
Berry Bros and Rudd	Berry's own selection 1982, 46%	18
	Berry's own selection 1982, 55.6% (LMDW)	19
	Berry's own selection 1982, 56.1%
	Berry's own selection 1982-2008, 46%
Bladnoch forum bottlings	24 years, Bladnoch bottling	18 1/2
	25 years, Bladnoch bottling	19
Dewar Rattray	Cask Collection, 25 years old, 60.4%
	Cask Collection, 24 years old, 58.2%	19
Douglas Laing	Old Malt Cask, 23 years
	Provenance: 18 years, Winter distillation	18 3/5
	Provenance: 19 years, Spring distillation	19 1/4
	Provenance: 22 years, Spring distillation	19
	Platinum collection 27 years 1978-2005	20
Duncan Taylor	Rarest of the Rare 26 years
Jean Boyer	Best Casks of Scotland 1983	18
	Best Casks of Scotland 1983, 46%		17 1/2
	Best Casks of Scotland 1983, 55%		18
Scott's Selection	Scott's Selection 1981	19
Signatory	Decanter Collection Edition 1 1978	18 4/5
	Decanter Collection Edition 2 1978	18
	1982, 25 years (Maison du Whisky collectors)

 

Port Ellen 22 years Rare Malts
Age	22 years
Alcohol percentage	60,9%
Particularity	Cask Strength
Bottler	Official
Price/litre

 

Despite the high percentage of alcohol of this edition, the nose detects delicate smoky hints. The palate, pleasant but dominated by alcohol, confirms the quality of this malt from a definitively closed distillery. A long finish evoking the malted barley, crowns it all. This bottling, although excellent, is certainly not the best whisky produced by this mythic distillery.

A very rich and complex nose, mixing peat smoke to slight citrus hints on a iodine and malt background. In short a whole world on itself. The first impression in the palate is a burning sensation, due to the exceptional alcohol degree, but it quickly gives way to a firework at sensations, from spices to salt through malt and cashew nuts. A very long finish with chocolate and peat reminiscences. An excellent bottle.

The nose is both iodized and peated, complex with notes of citrus fruit. The same citrus fruit are first present in a dry palate. The mouth developes on more rounded impressions after a while. Peat smoke delicately modifies the acid impression, before being itself replaced by some nutty taste. The percentage of alcohol is clearly perceptible. The finish is rather long, first on citrus notes, before evoluating on warmer and more bitter impressions.

 

Port Ellen 4th release 1978
Age	25 years
Alcohol percentage	56,2%
Particularity	Cask Strength
Bottler	Official
Price/litre

The nose is first marked by citrus fruits (lemon) and then by grass and finally iodine and peat on a background of smoke. The rather complex taste is marked by the degree of alcohol and varies between peaty smoke and barley with a slight after taste of wood or hazelnuts, and some chocolate hints. A very nice finish, even if it becomes dry after a few minutes, with hints of dried fruits (hazelnut, nut) and a very pleasant touch of spices and some woody impressions.

A remarkable nose, consisting in farmlike smells, ( wet hay), marine hints, iodine and salt and very nice spicy/peppery notes on a peaty background with some smoky notes. In the palate, the first thing to appear is peat, with some slightly acid hints, citrus fruit and a fine woody impression. The alcohol is very present, with a tingling sensation as a result. The palate is rather complex, spicy and peated. A very nice finish, lingering and warm, subtle balance between peat and citrus fruits. The memory of the alcohol continues to haunt this malt, which is a pitty, because without this little flaw, this whisky would be simply perfect. And the percentage of alcohol does not justify this little deception, as many other cask strengths are stronger but less annoying....

A very nice spicy nose, a touch of fine wood and remote hints of hay. Discrete sea air with its salty and sea spray components.
A very nice complexity in the palate, with tastes developing from woody bitterness to citrus notes before developing clearly on wood, chocolate and coffee.
The finish is powerful and pleasantly marked by wood and this coffee hints are still there. An excellent whisky.
Compared to previous notes, it seem that the annoying alcohol dominations has dimmed (the bottle has been opened a few months ago) and the whisky has clearly improved.

 

 

Port Ellen 18 years Provenance Winter Distillation
Age	18 years
Alcohol percentage	43%
Particularity	Non chill filtered
Bottler	Douglas Laing
Price/litre

 

 This version leaves a very good impression behind, although less imperishable as the 19 years old version in the same collection. But it stays an excellent, amazingly balanced whisky, with some peaty and smoky hints. Very sweet, the finish is rather long. This is an exceptional whisky and the happy few who own it should reserve it for great occasions.

A second tasting revealed some frank sherry hints, mixed with peat. The nose remains very pleasant and the taste is excellent. However, the sherry domination makes that this bottle loses one point in the general appreciation. The finish remains lingering and pleasant.

The nose detects a rather complex mix of peat and fruits (apple) on a medicinal background. Sherry is present too. In the palate, a slightly smoky peat dominates, with a clear hint of liquorice or violet and a discrete touch of acidity (green apple?) crowns the taste. The finish is warm and pleasant, even if it is a bit dry with a touch of acidity. It is however not too long.

A nice nose, where a nice presence is denoted. Hazelnut smells on a peaty and slightly smoky background. Slightly spicy notes, a touch of sherry. The mouth is first rather dry, with a nice complexity, mix of peat and liquorice.The first dryness makes room for a nice oily palate after a while, when some bitter notes are coming up. Wood is pleasantly present at the end. The lingering finish is warm and very pleasant, perfectly in touch with the late mouth, and sherry comes discretly up at the end.
.

 

 

Port Ellen 19 years Provenance Spring distillation
Age	19 years
Alcohol percentage	43%
Particularity	Not chill filtered
Bottler	Douglas Laing
Price/litre

 

 This Islay distillery is (for ever?) closed since 1984. This is the saddest news for Islay whisky lovers. If the perfection would exist, this would really apply to this exceptional bottling. It is really difficult to rate that bottle, because it's a pure perfection. The best rate I could give it is 20, even if this is rather impossible. Rating it under this level would oblige me to reconsider all other bottlings... The quality of this malt which matured for 19 years near the sea in oak casks is really surprisingly. It even makes forget its price, which does not allow anybody to buy it. But the pleasure provided by this whisky justifies anything... A nearly perfect whisky!!!

Very strange. A second tasting resulted in 18/20. The influence of the mood from the moment is definitively important. A pleasant and relatively discrete smoke smell followed by a subtle peaty malt taste make this whisky a fantastic one. The final seemed shorter than the first time. This means again that a single tasting is not sufficient to make an objective quotation.

A very complex nose, marked by peat and iodine, with some bitter hints probably due to the long stay in the cask. All this impressions form a very harmonious whole. In the palate, the taste is first marked by the wood, and this dims rather quickly to leave room to citrus fruits, still with clear peat and smoke fragrances, but perfectly balanced with the other aromas. A lingering finish, with a mix of tastes from honey to lemon, and the sea is never far away. Really an excellent whisky.

The nose is really remarkable, very complex and balanced, with some peat and nice marine hints on a malty and smokey background. In the mouth, some rich peat, nice but discrete citrus hints, smoke, salt, the whole perfectly balanced. Balance and complexity characterize this whisky. Some bitterness, nutty taste discreetely hidden behind the other aromas. A very nice finish, lingering, with marine and chocolate hints. A very amazing bottle. Really close to perfection. The enthousiasm of the first tasting is back...

 

Port Ellen 22 years Provenance Spring distillation
Age	22 years
Alcohol percentage	46%
Particularity	Not chill filtered Single cask
Cask	Sherry, #2102
Bottler	Douglas Laing
Price/litre

The nose is amazingly fresh, with even wome cut grass hints (very amazing for an Islay), some citrus notes, a light veil of smoke and some slightly medicinal touches. A very interesting nose. In the palate, some fine oily peat is discretely but clearly present. A nice complexity wavering between peat and chocolate. A rather oily impression, very pleasant and without any aggressivity and a touch of bitterness give this whisky a nice complexity in the mouth. A touch of smoke also. The finish is lingering and warm, even complex as the mouth was, beginning on clearly peaty notes, developing on woody hints and finally giving some acidity in retro-olfaction before just coming back on the first peaty impression.

Port Ellen Old Malt Cask 1983 Cask#3110
Age	23 years
Alcohol percentage	50%
Bottler	Douglas Laing
Price/litre

Port Ellen 27 years Platinum Selection
Age	27 years
Alcohol percentage	54.8%
Particularity	Not chill filtered
Bottler	Douglas Laing
Price/litre

The nose is particularly nice, both fruity (green apple, red currant), both sweet and slightly acid with discrete woody hints. A touch of very discrete smoke as well. This nose announces a very great whisky. The mouth is very pleasant and marvelously complex, with a nice mix of acid sensations, hints of malt, tobacco, some wood. A real firework in the palate. The whole is perfectly balanced, without any agressiveness and with a smooth impression, close to a milky sensation. Something like a yogurt with green apples. The lingering finish is pleasant, marked by both cereals and light citrus hints.

A very clear nose with an elegant mix of light smoke and discrete peat, in a perfect balance. Behind this dominant fragrances, some sherry hints and fruity notes. Spices as well. Very nice balance, nice complexity, a very fine nose. In the palate, an unusual complexity, with first some woody notes, with slightly acid citrus hints mixed with tobacco and leather notes, which appear after a while, before making room for clear oily peat hints, delicately integrated in the whole. The mouth, just like the nose, is characterized by an amazing balance and a very large palette of fragrances. Some chocolate notes at the end. The finish is cast in the same mould. Long and pleasant, with first the chocolate hints of the mouth, where peaty memories are mixed after a few minutes, the whole being very finely balance.

 

Port Ellen 1978 Edition 1 The Decanter Collection
Age	24 years
Alcohol percentage	58,4%
Cask	Port
Particularity	Cask Strength
Bottler	Signatory
Price/litre

 

 This bottle is really remarkable. The excellent collection marketed by Signatory let us discover an excellent cask strength from one of the most mythic distilleries of Islay. All the richness and complexity of a great Islay malt, but the Port finish is not really suitable for raced whiskies as the ones from Islay or Campbeltown (personal opinion). The Port sweetness hides the peaty and smoked character of the malt. The finish is exceptional: long and pleasant. The price is too high, and could discourage a lot of people.

The second tasting confirmed the port domination on the taste, but what a pleasure from the very first nosing. The finish is really exceptional, and the wonderful bottle deserves more than the quotation from the first tasting.

The third tasting confirmed the great pleasure given by this bottle from a disappeared distillery. THe rich nose announces great things, and the palate just confirms the first impression, the sweet Port added to the complexity of this great whisky slightly peated. A rather long finish, and ... this is a very great whisky.

A very nice and rich nose, marked by the sweetness of port and some hints of iodine on a peaty and discrete smoky background. In the palate a real explosion of tastes. A very great complexity, mixing the sweetness of port with the maritime character of this whisky, with its hints of salt and peaty smoke. A great finish, where the sweetness of the port, allied to the strength of the see continues the pleasure for long minutes.

A pleasantly smoked nose with nice fruity notes. In addition some hints of wet hay, and some sea impressions too, with iodine and some salt. The sea is present but does not really dominate. The port finish gives the whole interesting smoothness. The palate is very complex, with acid fruit hints mixed to chocolate notes. Some discrete peat behind a light veil of smoke. The finish is pleasantly long and the port sweetness is rather present.

 

 

Port Ellen 1978 Edition 2 The Decanter Collection
Age	24 years
Alcohol percentage	59,3%
Cask	Port
Particularity	Cask Strength
Bottler	Signatory
Price/litre

 

 A marvelous malted barley fragrance, mixed with port hints announce an exceptional bottle. Despite the high percentage of alcohol, it's a real pleasure for the palate. This malt is really subtle and complex. None of the typical Islay hints (peat and smoke) are present, which can be regrettable for this famous distillery, closed for about 20 years, but whose whisky still haunts the spirits of all whisky lovers around the world. An exceptionally long finish crowns all. One problem however: the daunting price of this bottle....

The nose is remarkably perfumed, with however some aggression feeling due to the high degree of alcohol. However, the smell is very pleasant, mixing malt, port and bee wax. The taste, even though marked by the alcohol, is very pleasant, complex, with hints of black chocolate, malt and peat, subtly mixed to other sweeter touches, inherited from the Port cask. The warm finish is extraordinary long and pleasant, and recalls for a while the great complexity of this whisky, with some peaty notes.

The nose is rather fresh, with some discrete smokey hints, malted barley and a hint of chocolate on the background. Some was and honey as well. In the mouth a slightly bitter touch adds to the nose sensations, with smooth liquorice notes behind some dry peaty hints giving this whisky a nice complexity. A nice finish, peaty with some liquorice at the end. A nice bottle.

A fruity nose. Some peat and smoke but also a tingling impression. A touch of acidity. A very nice nose marked by a mix of malt and plum.
The mouth is both bitter and acid, relatively complex but developing on the same taste palette as the nose, where the dry woody touches alternate with some slightly monotone acidity.
The finish is pleasantly long, very warm, and above all marked by the woody bitterness.

 

Port Ellen Best casks of Scotland 1983 21 years
Age	21 years
Alcohol percentage	46%
Cask	First fill sherry
Bottler	Jean Boyer
Price/litre

The rather floral nose reveals very nice notes of smoke, pear and iodine on the background. Something like haddock in a bunch of roses. Unfortunately, the expectations woke by the nose are not verified in the palate. The mouth is slightly marked by the alcohol, which makes the whisky lose a part of its charms. After a while, the aromas develop ant the peat and discrete smoke are still present. The finish is pleasant but a bit short, and comes back on malt on a peaty background.

Quite a nuanced nose with fruit (banana) and malt and a touch of smoke on the background. Light chocolate and nutty notes. Discrete peat.
The mouth is a mix of malt, chocolate and peat with touches of slightly acid notes giving the whole a nice freshness. Pleasant but could have some more body and complexity at the first tasting. Letting the whisky for some seconds in the palate helps developing its qualities. The lack at body seems to turn in excessive discretion and refinement.
The finish is long and keeps the memory of the malt and of this little acid touch before developing on warm chocolate hints.

Port Ellen Scott's selection 1981-2005
Age	24 years
Alcohol percentage	57,7%
Bottler	Scott's selection
Price/litre

The nose is clearly marked by spices and rubber. Behind this first impression, nice hints of citrus fruits and dryed grass. A strong smell, slightly pungent, an nice complexity announcing lots of pleasure at the tasting. In the palate, citrus is first present, slightly acid, but soon developing on malty smoothness, but this smoothness is a bit tempered by the alcohol percentage. After a while alcool makes room to a wonderful malty sweetness, even some toffee touches. A very nice finish, lingering and warm, smooth with some smoke on the background.

Port Ellen aged 24 years 1982-2006 Bladnoch bottling Butt 2461
Age	24 years
Alcohol percentage	60,4%
Bottler	Bladnoch
Price/litre

The relatively dry mouth is dominated by peat, before developing on coffee and chocolate notes. Quite complex and very pleasant. The percentage of alcohol (60,4) does not hinder at all and the finish is nicely bitter. Walnut and some woody, but without exaggeration. A very nice balance, just in the same notes the palate and the nose were. In my opinion, a great Port Ellen.

A remarkably smoky and peaty nose. Hints of chocolate and an entrancing smell of hazelnuts. The palate, first very dry and peaty, developes quickly to a smoother impression, while perfectly staying in the line of the nose: chocalate, smoke, peat, moke, someting magic. The very long and pleasant finish justs prolongs the pleasure.

Port Ellen aged 25 years 1982-2007 Bladnoch bottling Butt 2036
Age	25 years
Alcohol percentage	58,1%
Bottler	Bladnoch
Price/litre

Very nice sea aromas (salt, seaweed) mixed with some rather discrete peat and a quite dominating smoke. The whole in perfect balance.
The palate is remarkable too. he first mouth is very dry but develops fortunately quick on quite complex notes where slight hints of ripe fruit are mixed with slight woody notes, with smoke and peat which remain both present without dominating the whole.
Very nice finish too, lingering and smoky. The happiness goes on for minutes. Another great bottling from Bladnoch.

Port Ellen Berry's own selection 1982
Age	25 years
Bottler	Berry Bros & Rudd
Alcohol percentage	46%
Price/litre

A nice oily peat characterizes the first nose. A very refined peat with clear hints of smoke on the background. A sea impression too. Peat, salt and iodine seem to be the main characteristics. The palate is marked by nice developments from peat. A slow evolution to slightly fruity notes and some nice hints clearly marked by chocolate, But peat remains dominating. The finish is warm and divided between peat and an impression of sweet warmth, on quite neutral motes developing soon on milk chocolate hints.

Port Ellen Berry's own selection 1982, Cask Strength (for Maison du Whisky)
Age	25 years
Bottler	Berry Bros & Rudd
Alcohol percentage	55.6%
Price/litre

An encouraging nose with nice sherry notes and interesting chocolate hints. Nice complexity, specially after a few minutes of aeration, as the first contact with this whisky is quite marked by alcohol but fortunately this is dimming rather soon. Spices and exotic fruits .
In the mouth, this is quite a firework with nice fruity notes and a kind of bitter acidity developing soon on very refined and fresh woody hints. Sea is not far neither...
The finish is long and pleasant and marked by the memory of a mix of malty sweetness and a light woody bitterness and smoke traces. A very nice bottle.

Port Ellen Berry's own selection 1982, Cask Strength
Age	25 years
Bottler	Berry Bros & Rudd
Alcohol percentage	56.1%
Price/litre

Port Ellen Cask Collection 1982-2007 Sherry wood Cask#2463
Age	24 ans
Bottler	Dewar Rattray
Alcohol percentage	58.2%
Price/litre

A nice nose marked by a light oily peat and quite clear hints of leather together with sea spray. A nice balance promising lots of pleasure. Discrete chocolate hints as well.
In the palate, this whisky is immediately very pleasant, with still the presence of oily peat and acid hints giving it a remarkable freshness before developing on smoother notes, with a kind of salted chocolate hints. Nice complexity. Excellent impression in the mouth.
The finish is long and continuously develops between acid hints marked by alcohol and a persistent after-taste where peat and sea salt remain together with this chocolate impression.

Port Ellen Cask Collection 1982-2008 Sherry Cask#2466
Age	25 years
Bottler	Dewar Rattray
Alcohol percentage	60.4%
Price/litre

Port Ellen Acorn's natural malt selection 24 years old
Age	24 ans
Bottler	Acorn
Alcohol percentage	55.6%
Price/litre

A nice nose with hints of plum jam, chocolate, refined wood and sherry. A touch of peat and a veil of smoke.
The mouth is first very pleasantly marked by a great freshness, developing slowly on beautiful and coloured woody notes, the whole within a nice complexity. Very interesting hints of wood, hazelnut and sherry make this whisky a very interesting experience. Obvious presence of salty see whiffs.
The finish is specially lingering, mixing freshness to a light bitterness, and leaving a pleasant memory of a very nice refined sherry.

Port Ellen 1982, aged 25 years La Maison du Whisky Collector's edition Cask #1203
Age	25 ans
Bottler	Signatory
Alcohol percentage	55.7%
Price/litre

Port Ellen Rarest of the Rare
Age	26 years
Bottler	Duncan Taylor
Alcohol percentage	54,6%
Price/litre

Port Ellen Best casks of Scotland 1983 23 years 46%
Age	21 years
Alcohol percentage	46%
Bottler	Jean Boyer

A nice nose, marked by discrete peat and floral hints. Some slightly medicinal touches appear after a while. A bit of acidity and some spices complete the impression. The mouth is first both slightly bitter and acid before developing on mort woody fragrances, where the bitterness remains. One could have expected more complexity, as the nose was really promising. The finish is interesting, as the woody bitterness slowly developes on chocolate notes, while the acid notes diseappear progressively.

A very nice nose, marked by pepper and some discrete peat. Marine notes with iodine hints are quite present with some fruit hints behind. In the palate, first peat, followed by fruity notes (banana). Despite an impression of nice maturity and balance, this oily mouth is not really spectacular. The finish is lingering and hints of peat prolong the pleasure for long minutes.

Port Ellen Best casks of Scotland 1983 23 years 55 %
Age	21 years
Alcohol percentage	55%
Bottler	Jean Boyer

The nose is surprisingly fresh and marked more by flowers than by peat, even if the latter is present, but discretely. Light sea hints, an impression of salt with spices on the background. The first mouth is dry, slightly acid and pungent. After a while, bitterness seems to dominate. A kind of bitterness, quite different from the woody bitterness which is so usual in whiskies from that age. Then the dryness seems to make room to a very pleasant impression of well balanced whisky. The finish is more bitter, rather long and quite nice. Hazelnut and just a touch of smoke.

NB: this whisky is from the same cask as the 46% version. Dilution does not appear to change the impression left by this whisky, even if I prefer the cask strength version.

Port Ellen 7th release 1978
Age	28 ans
Alcohol percentage	58,8%
Particularity	Cask Strength
Bottler	Officiel
Price/litre

Quite a sea nose with its seaweed, salt and sea spray smells. Nice presence of smoke too. A camp fire on the beach. Behind this dominating flavours, some hints of exotic fruit. Anyway a nice complexity. The first mouth is characterized by a nice roundness followed by a first vague of bitterness before developing on dry fruits, malt and ripe fruits (plum) and some strange chocolate notes come and enrich further (even if there is no need for more richness) this remarkable mouth Remarkable finish. A perfect balance between the smoky and chocolate notes. A whole amazingly balanced and complex.

Port Ellen Berry Bros &Rudd 1982-2008
Alcohol percentage	46%
Bottler	Berry Bros & Rudd

Port Ellen 3rd release 1979
Age	24 years
Alcohol percentage	57,3%
Particularity	Cask Strength
Bottler	Official

Comment by J.L. Zamora

Nose: smoke,peaty, sea air, something how glaze,polisher. Palate: peat, smooke, sea air, wax paper, leather. Delicious whisky with a great complexity and long finish.

Port Ellen 8th release 1979
Age	29 years
Alcohol percentage	55,3%
Particularity	Cask Strength
Bottler	Official

Comment by Henrik Johansson

Date: 4/2 2009
Apperance: Very pale gold with a light pink nuance (surely refill casks)
Nose: Round and winey. Wood coal, paraffin oil and antiseptics. Some dry smoke and a delicate maltiness. Despite some alcohol associated aromas it's not particularly prickly. With dilution the smoke comes out a little more and the bouquet becomes bigger and more rounded. The undiluted dram felt very immature and edgy for it's age, but now it feels more well matured. There's a delicate solvent fruityness behind the smoke, which now feels more like wet peat smoke.
Body: Light to medium, but very oily
Palate: The undiluted spirit is very sharp and hard with warm tones of burnt rubber and balanced sweetness with a reasonably long finish. Diluted it becomes more pleasant! and sophisticated. A soft, peaty bear hug rolls in towards the finish.
86/100

 

Isle of Islay

The Isle of Islay on the West coast, is by far the most appreciated producing area amongst the single malt lovers. Even if its surface is rather small, there are no less than 8 active distilleries, including a new one.

Click on the map for a list of the distilleries of the area, on the title for further information about the Isle of Islay area, and if you want to make an "alphabetical journey" through the area, please click on one of the pagode roofs, according to the direction you want to follow