Port Ellen 28 Year Old 7th Release (2007) 53.8%
The Port Ellen distillery is located in Port Ellen on the isle of Islay, Scotland.
Port Ellen was established as a malt mill in 1825, and then developed as a distillery under John Ramsay from 1833 to 1892. The warehouses he built still exist and are now listed buildings. The distillery was acquired by the Distillers Company Limited in 1925, was closed in 1930 and rebuilt in 1966/1967. It continued in production throughout the 1970s and was closed in 1983.
Port Ellen was established as a malt mill in 1825, and then developed as a distillery under John Ramsay from 1833 to 1892. The warehouses he built still exist and are now listed buildings. The distillery was acquired by the Distillers Company Limited in 1925, was closed in 1930 and rebuilt in 1966/1967. It continued in production throughout the 1970s and was closed in 1983.
Nose:It seems that this one is a rather complex version, which does not start only on big whiffs of burning tyres and lemons but also on soaked grains, porridge and wet ropes. The peat smoke is big as expected but it’s melted into the rest. Mullein flowers, crystallised lemons, lemon honey, vanilla crème, raw wool, clams, spearmint. It gets then a little more austere but never ‘brutal’. A civilised Port Ellen?
Palate:Quite interestingly, this one reminds me more of an old Ardbeg than of a Port Ellen on the palate. Very nervous and very ‘wide’, with notes of tangerines, Chinese anise, bubblegum (hints), smoked tea, gentian spirit (hello Vienna?), crab, green Chartreuse and even Jägermeister, liquorice roots… Gets almost restless now, concentrated, big, bitterer and bitterer (more herbs liqueurs)… What a presence!
Finish:Long, more on marzipan now, green walnuts, liquorice, kippers, sea water (remember?) Well well well, we had thought this one would be a very nice and gentle whisky when nosing it first but at the finish it got quite a monster. A vampire? Great whisky anyway.
Colour:Pale gold.
