Port Ellen 1st Release

An official Port Ellen single malt, aged 22 year old, from 1979 and bottled at 56.2%. Just 6000 bottles were filled. Built in 1825 on Islay's southern coast near the village of Port Ellen, Port Ellen was closed in 1983 in the whisky downturn. The Port Ellen maltings survived the closure and still supply Islay.

The malt was peated hard over Islay peat cut from Duich Moss, giving the elegant, structured smoke that set Port Ellen apart. The spirit was run through copper pot stills on soft island water. Maturation in a refill ex-Bourbon barrel kept the malt lean and smoky. At this age the smoke turns gentle and oily, the spirit deep, briny and refined. The long sleep concentrates the smoke and builds a lanolin, waxy texture. Smoke, salt and citrus mark it out from its Islay neighbours. Each bottling is a finite draw on a stock that ended in 1983.

At 56.2%, undiluted, it is bold and smoky. A gentle vanilla note, while an elegant, structured smoke carries brine, wax and a mineral edge. A lanolin wax and a coastal salinity give it real weight. The finish runs oily, saline and slow. This is stock from the legendary closed era, ever scarcer.