Port Ellen 30 Years Old 1982 Cask #1518 (Ian Macleod)

Single malt Port Ellen, an independent Ian Macleod bottling, a 30 year old from 1982, drawn from cask 1518 and bottled at 50.1%. The outturn was 308 bottles. Port Ellen was first founded in 1825 on Islay's southern coast near the village of Port Ellen and closed in 1983 in the whisky downturn. The Port Ellen maltings survived the closure and still supply Islay.

The malt was peated hard over Islay peat cut from Duich Moss, giving the elegant, structured smoke that set Port Ellen apart. The spirit was run through copper pot stills on soft island water. An ex-Bourbon cask shaped it, soft refill oak that lets the smoke lead. Well past twenty years the peat has mellowed to soft embers, the malt grown waxy and elegant. The peat phenols fade only slowly, which is why even very old Port Ellen keeps its smoke.

At 50.1%, undiluted, it is bold and smoky. Light oak sweetness underneath, while a gently medicinal smoke carries oily lemon, brine and a lanolin wax. It is elegant and deep, the peat folded into the malt. Embers and sea salt see out a long finish. This is a vanishing dram from Islay's most storied closed distillery.