Port Ellen 24 Years Old 1983 Cask #DMG 4127 (Douglas McGibbon)

This is a Port Ellen single malt, chosen and bottled by Douglas McGibbon, a 24 year old from 1983, drawn from cask DMG 4127 and bottled at 46%. Port Ellen was first founded in 1825 on Islay's southern coast near the village of Port Ellen and closed in 1983 in the whisky downturn. Annual Special Releases through Diageo sealed its mythic status.

Islay peat dried the malt, lending the spirit its coastal smoke, giving the elegant, structured smoke that set Port Ellen apart. The spirit was run through copper pot stills on soft island water. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, the wood holding back so the peat speaks. At this age the smoke turns gentle and oily, the spirit deep, briny and refined. The peat phenols fade only slowly, which is why even very old Port Ellen keeps its smoke. Three Islay distilleries proved one too many, and this was the one to close.

Reduced to 46%, it is mellow. Light oak sweetness underneath, while a gently medicinal smoke carries brine, wax and a mineral edge. A lanolin wax and a coastal salinity give it real weight. Embers and sea salt see out a long finish. This is a vanishing dram from Islay's most storied closed distillery.