
March 30, 2017

Two Port Ellen 1983

Most sadly, and as we all know, Port Ellen, just like say Brora, has only been ‘smoking’ (as they say in Martinique) for a few months in 1983, before their owners closed them for good (right, for bad). Now I’ve often noticed that the spirits that used to be made in those last months was of very high quality, it’s a bit like some bands’ last world tours if you like. And no, that never worked with Creedence Clearwater Revival, but there, you get the idea…

Port Ellen 32 yo 1983/2016 (54%, The Auld Alliance, Singapore, cask #001/508, 120 bottles)

Colour: white wine. Hurray, refill wood! Nose: as fresh and vibrant as an old Islay can be, and once again this demonstrates that tired oak, provided you give it a lot of time, will give you back the smartest, cleanest, and most faithful old malt whiskies. Superb hessian, iodine, brine, oysters, kelp and fresh mint, plus lime and lemon, without any fattish or buttery notes. Some shoe polish instead, and perhaps a little anti-rust paint or something, as well as very wee hints of Thai basil, coriander, or fennel. One of the brightest old Port Ellens, in the style of those older Old Bothwells. With water: huge saponification, let’s wait… zzz… zzz… good, it got much gentler, almost floral, with some orange blossom water and a very gentle vanilla mingled with seawater and almond oil. Somethingb that could happen with old Caol Ila (pre-extension). Mouth (neat): a massive amount of grapefruits and lemons, with a pinch of salt. Smoked water, oysters, capers, samphires… This is almost a deluxe margarita. With water (although it doesn’t need water): gets very salty! Olive brine… Finish: long, very clean, superbly coastal. Smoked brine. Ashy aftertaste. Comments: I just knew this was going to be great. Now let’s keep a bottle for thirty more years, and see you here in 2047. SGP:367 - 92 points.

So, let’s try to find another 1983 in the sample library, there probably aren’t many… Ah, there…

Port Ellen 23 yo 1983/2006 (54.1%, The Way of Spirits)

A fairly obscure bottling by Waddell Hepburn in Glasgow, a name that seems to have been related to Douglas Laing, according to the shape of the bottles. Colour: white wine. Nose: a notch more ‘brutal’ than the Singaporean, with more fresh paint, tar, coal smoke… I’m also finding some green pepper, Barbour grease, some brine again… This one’s perhaps more ‘traditionally PE’. With water: ah, wet dogs! (we’re eternally sorry, dogs) and yet again, that old tweed jacket that we’re left under the rain for hours. Quite a lot of plasticine too. Mouth (neat): salt and lemon, with some paint, paraffin, and pepper. Very straightforward and once again, perhaps a tad brutal. With water: more citrus, but not quite more complexity, I wouldn’t say it’s totally got the zing of the Auld Alliance. Now of course, it’s very good whisky. Finish: long, sharpish, lemony, salty and ashy. It’s almost as if it could have been twelve years old. Comments: it’s Port Ellen, you understand! Maybe just not one of the very best there is. SGP:367 - 88 points.

More PE soon on WF, stay tuned…

Check the index of all Port Ellen I've tasted so far