Port Ellen 2nd Release

This official Port Ellen single malt at 24 year old, from 1978 and bottled at 59.35%. The outturn was 12000 bottles. Port Ellen, first founded in 1825 by the sea on Islay's south shore, was silenced in 1983 when Islay had one distillery too many. Its dwindling stock became some of the most collectable in Scotch.

Peat smoke from Islay's bogs dried the malt to its smoky pitch, drawn off traditional pot stills fed by the Leorin Lochs, for the refined smoke that made its name. An ex-Bourbon hogshead held it, the soft oak letting the Islay character lead. Decades have eased the peat to a soft reek over beeswax and old oak. Refill ex-Bourbon oak, having given its sharpest notes to an earlier fill, lets the peat and the spirit lead. The old warehouses still hold the last of the closed era spirit. Port Ellen was one of three Diageo Islay distilleries, the one judged surplus in 1983.

At a hearty 59.35% it carries real weight. A soft maritime smoke carries salted citrus and a soft wax, with a touch of vanilla and cream from the wood. Soft embers and brine sit behind the smoke. A waxy, gently medicinal finish lingers long. This is a revered Islay malt from a distillery silent for forty years.