Port Ellen 20-year-old D.1978 B.1998 Rare Malts / 60.90% / 0.7l
- Port Ellen Distillery was producing whisky from 1825 to 1929, resumed production in 1967 after extensive restoration, only to close for good in 1983.
Product description
Bottle no. 0548, 1448
Port Ellen is one of the most lamented victims of the whisky crisis of the early 1980s.
The distillery operated from 1825-1929 and from 1967-1983, and at the time of its closure was the smallest of DCL's three Islay distilleries. Port Ellen single malt has twice been included in the prestigious Rare Malts series, the one presented here is the first edition from 1998, distilled in 1978. The whisky is bottled at a natural alcohol content of 60.9% and without chill filtration. The last editions of Rare Malts were released in 2005 and the entire series is now a huge collector's item.
Nose: peat smoke mixed with sea breeze, shells, seaweed, lemons, grapefruits, traces of leather and tobacco, smoked ham and a hint of iodine.
Palate: smoky and peaty with a delicate hint of sherry, candied lemon and orange peel, baked apples, pepper, dark chocolate, caramel and salted almonds.
Finish: quite long, with notes of peat smoke, sea salt, pepper, dark chocolate and to a lesser extent oak.