Port Ellen 23 Years Old 1975 Finest (Hart Brothers)

Bottled by Hart Brothers, this Port Ellen matured to 23 year old, from 1975 and bottled at 43%. Port Ellen stood on Islay's southern coast near the village of Port Ellen from its founding in 1825 until it was closed in 1983 in the whisky downturn. The stills ran once more from 2024, but this whisky predates the revival.

The barley was kilned over peat to around thirty five phenol parts per million and run through copper pot stills on soft island water, for the austere, structured peat the malt is known for. Refill bourbon wood held the spirit, flattering its citric, oily smoke. At this age the smoke turns gentle and oily, the spirit deep, briny and refined. Port Ellen was matured largely in refill casks, which sharpen the smoke and leave the malt a touch austere. The peat came from Islay's own Duich Moss, localising the whole character. For years the spirit went quietly into blends before its single malt became a legend.

Bottled at 43%, it is rounded. A briny peat smoke runs over a waxy, briny lift, with gentle oak vanilla beneath the smoke. The texture is oily and coating, the smoke threaded with sea salt. Deep and elegant, the smoke lingers long. This is prized stock from a distillery reborn only in 2024.