Product description
Port Ellen Distillery, the smallest Islay distillery in the DCL portfolio, ceased operations in May 1983.
In those days, whisky producers suffered from overproduction, and most of them were fighting for survival. The distilling equipment has been removed, and most buildings have been demolished, although some warehouses remain intact. In the 1990s, each independent bottler offered Port Ellen on regular basis; however, demand remained moderate. Nowadays, Port Ellen bottlings are sitting at the top of any whisky collector’s list, and we see no indications for change. In the fall of 2017, Diageo announced plans to reopen the distillery in 2021 and produce “carefully controlled quantities replicating the spirit character of the original distillery”. Here is Port Ellen 10 years old, released by Signatory Vintage in 1993 as part of the Scottish Wildlife range. The label features otter.
Nose: peat smoke and sea salt, seaweed salad, grilled vegetables, lemon peel, lemon grass, shoe polish, horse stables, and iodine.
Palate: slightly waxy, smoked seafood, lemons, grapefruits, green apples, sea salt, white pepper, hints of tobacco, and distant whiff of smoke.
Finish: medium long, with notes of sea breeze, lemon peel, mixed herbs, white pepper, oak tannins, and peat smoke.