Port Ellen 25 Years Old 1982 Cask #2844 (Signatory)

Signatory Vintage bottled this Port Ellen single malt, aged 25 year old, from 1982, drawn from cask 2844 and bottled at 58%. Only 526 bottles were released. Port Ellen stood on the Kildalton shore of Islay from its founding in 1825 until it was brought to a halt in 1983. Most of its make once went to blends, but its single malt became the prize.

Distilled in onion shaped copper pot stills on Leorin Lochs water, yielding the poised, maritime smoke of classic Port Ellen. An Oloroso sherry cask wrapped the smoke in dried fruit and a nutty depth. Long ageing leaves a mellow smoke, a lanolin wax and a maritime depth. Maturation in old refill casks keeps the distillery character front and centre. Its cult grew with every passing year the warehouses stayed quiet. The closed era spirit is finite, and every bottle drawn is one fewer left.

At a full 58% it is concentrated and oily. The Oloroso brings smoked fig, raisin and walnut, and crystallised lemon and a salty tang ride on embers of Islay peat, with a touch of vanilla and cream from the wood. A crystallised lemon and a saline tang lift the smoke. A long, briny finish smoulders to the end. This is a collectable relic of a cult Islay name.