Port Ellen 15 Years Old 1969 Sestante Import (G&M)

Gordon & MacPhail bottled this Port Ellen single malt, a 15 year old Islay malt, from 1969 and bottled at 40%. The legendary Port Ellen, opened 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. Past twenty years the smoke mellows and the oily, waxy texture builds. Refill wood flatters Port Ellen, holding back the vanilla so the smoke and citrus speak. The refined, citric smoke set it apart from its more medicinal Islay neighbours. 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.

At 40% it is supple and elegant. Lemon zest and coastal salt ride on embers of Islay peat, with a quiet sweetness from the refill cask. It is structured and a touch austere, the refill oak keeping it lean. A long, briny finish smoulders to the end. This is a rare survivor of the 1983 closure.