Port Ellen 21 Years Old 1982 Missing (Silver Seal)

Single malt Port Ellen, an independent Silver Seal bottling matured to 21 year old, from 1982 and bottled at 46%. 375 bottles in all. Port Ellen, dating to 1825 on Islay's southern coast near the village of Port Ellen, was closed in 1983 in the whisky downturn. Annual Special Releases through Diageo sealed its mythic status.

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. Refill ex-Bourbon casks held the spirit, the wood Port Ellen is most often found in. Past twenty years the smoke mellows and the oily, waxy texture builds. The long sleep concentrates the smoke and builds a lanolin, waxy texture. The 2024 revival rebuilt the stills, but casks like this remain from the original distillery. Few lost distilleries are mourned as deeply, or bottled as devotedly, as Port Ellen.

At 46% it is balanced and smoky. Soft coconut and vanilla from the oak, while a graceful Islay smoke carries brine, wax and a mineral edge. A lanolin wax and a coastal salinity give it real weight. The finish smoulders gently, oily and long. This is a piece of Islay legend in the glass.