Port Ellen 26 Years Old 1983 Charity Bottling Kreuzritter (Jack Wiebers Whisky World)

Jack Wiebers Whisky World bottled this Port Ellen single malt, a 26 year old Islay malt, from 1983 and bottled at 55.3%. 140 bottles in all. The legendary Port Ellen, established in 1825 beside the bay at Port Ellen on Islay, was closed in 1983 and long mourned. Its last casks were laid down in 1983, a finite legacy ever since.

Made in onion shaped stills on soft Islay water, building the oily, briny style it is loved for. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, the wood holding back so the peat speaks. 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. Diageo invested heavily to raise the distillery again two centuries on. Long island ageing lends a saline thread to the deep smoke. The closed years only deepened the legend around the malt. A whisky measured now in dwindling casks rather than fresh spirit.

Undiluted at 55.3%, it is deep and smoky. Lemon zest and coastal salt ride on embers of Islay peat, with a quiet sweetness from the refill cask. It is structured and a touch austere, the refill oak keeping it lean. A long, briny finish smoulders to the end. This is a rare survivor of the 1983 closure.