Port Ellen 20 Years Old 1982 (Connoisseurs Choice)

Gordon & MacPhail bottled this Port Ellen single malt at 20 year old, from 1982 and bottled at 40%. Port Ellen, founded in 1825 on the Kildalton shore of Islay, was brought to a halt in 1983. Its last casks were laid down in 1983, a finite legacy ever since.

Distilled in onion shaped copper pot stills on Leorin Lochs water, yielding the poised, maritime smoke of classic Port Ellen. Maturation came in ex-Bourbon American oak, gentle wood beneath the peat. Around two decades in oak knit the smoke with the wood into a maritime, citrus edged malt. Refill wood flatters Port Ellen, holding back the vanilla so the smoke and citrus speak. Laid down before 1983, this is spirit from a distillery that stood silent for forty years. Its cult grew with every passing year the warehouses stayed quiet. The closed era spirit is finite, and every bottle drawn is one fewer left.

At an approachable 40% it is refined. Lemon zest and coastal salt ride on a coastal peat smoke, with soft vanilla and a touch of coconut from the cask. It is structured and a touch austere, the refill oak keeping it lean. It closes long, smoky and maritime. This is a revered Islay malt from a distillery silent for forty years.