Port Ellen 27 Years Old 1982 Birds (The Whisky Agency)

Single malt Port Ellen, an independent The Whisky Agency bottling matured to 27 year old, from 1982 and bottled at 62.6%. A release of 168 bottles. The legendary Port Ellen, built in 1825 on Islay's rocky southern seaboard, was mothballed for good in 1983. Annual Special Releases through Diageo sealed its mythic status.

The malt was peated hard over Islay peat cut from Duich Moss, for a smoke more graceful than its Islay neighbours. The spirit was worked through copper pot stills by the sea. A refill American oak cask held it, keeping the distillery character to the fore. Decades have eased the peat to a soft reek over beeswax and old oak. Long, cool maturation in Islay warehouses lets the smoke knit slowly with the oak. 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 62.6% it is concentrated and oily. A gentle vanilla note, while a refined peat reek carries brine, wax and a mineral edge. A lanolin wax and a coastal salinity give it real weight. The close is slow, soft peat over wax. This is one of the great ghost whiskies of Islay.