Port Ellen 27 Years Old 1982 Cask #2347 (Wilson & Morgan)

From Wilson & Morgan comes this Port Ellen matured to 27 year old, from 1982, drawn from cask 2347 and bottled at 61.3%. The outturn was 570 bottles. The legendary Port Ellen, built in 1825 by the sea on Islay's south shore, was silenced in 1983 when Islay had one distillery too many. Its last casks were laid down in 1983, a finite legacy ever since.

Drawn off traditional pot stills fed by the Leorin Lochs, to build a smoke at once oily, briny and refined. Refill bourbon wood held the spirit, flattering its citric, oily smoke. Decades have eased the peat to a soft reek over beeswax and old oak. Refill wood flatters Port Ellen, holding back the vanilla so the smoke and citrus speak. Walter Frederick Campbell laid out the village of Port Ellen in 1821. John Ramsay developed the distillery through the middle of the 19th century. The drum maltings built in 1973 still turn out barley for Islay today.

At a natural 61.3% it is powerful and oily. Lemon zest and coastal salt ride on a coastal peat smoke, with a quiet sweetness from the refill cask. It is structured and a touch austere, the refill oak keeping it lean. It closes long, smoky and maritime. This is a rare survivor of the 1983 closure.