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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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July 1, 2026 |
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WF's Little Duos:
today, two very Recent
Port Ellens, IB vs OB |
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| Port Ellen Distillery today (Diageo) |
The question that remains is whether Port Ellen, now reaching forty-three years of age and well beyond, can still go the distance as impressively as its cousins from Talisker do. There has admittedly been a bit of last-minute re-racking here and there, but that has generally been handled with a certain elegance, and, to the best of our knowledge, no one has yet dared resort to tequila casks, the whisky equivalent of Botox, if ever there was one. Just a personal opinion, as always. Let’s begin with the younger of the two, which also happens to have the lower strength. Only just, mind you… |
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Port Ellen 45 yo 1980/2025 (57.6%, Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseurs Choice Heritage Collection, refill American oak hogshead) 
So far, we have not tasted all that many 1980s, although do note that the expression ‘so far’ demonstrates our ever-unshakeable optimism. Colour: gold. Nose: follow me, we are entering an old herbalist’s shop, with notes of furniture polish and metal polish, but also an avalanche of dried flowers and herbs, camomile, rosemary, marjoram and sage, before citrus fruits begin to emerge alongside those famous tarry notes that lead inevitably towards the legendary old tarred fishermen’s ropes washed up on the beach. One cannot help thinking of an oil spill, a rather gloomy thought I grant you, except in this very particular case. With water: it moves less than a three-metre-high Norman wardrobe. Water changes virtually nothing, although I must admit I did not dare take it down to 30% vol. The faintest suggestion of damp cardboard. Mouth (neat): what tremendous drive! Essentially, this is lime juice infused with ashes and tar, topped up with seawater and oyster juice. Which is not quite the same thing. A few peppery touches too. With water: everything fuses into a resinous and salty substance, a little like an alliance of plasticine and sea salt. A few medicinal notes emerge as well. Finish: long, more resinous, rather oily, although the seawater ultimately takes command and signs the whole affair with a salty kiss (really?) Comments: the entire series is magnificent, exactly as we had expected, and what is more, all seem to be operating at roughly the same level of quality, at least to my mind.
SGP:466 - 92 points. |
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Port Ellen 46 yo 1978/2025 ‘Prism’ (57.8%, OB, refill hogshead then refill American oak puncheon, magnum and miniatures)
Quite possibly the rarest Port Ellen ever bottled, rarer even than the famous ‘Queen’s Visit’. And what is more, it was produced for charity, so unreserved applause is entirely in order. Incidentally, you may occasionally come across bottles of supposedly much older vintage Port Ellen, like pre-WWII, but keep your bitcoins in your electronic pockets, they are invariably fakes. Other than that, 57.8% vol. at forty-six years of age is, of course, highly impressive. This was probably not matured by the seaside. Colour: full gold. Nose: what is most impressive is the sheer oneness of it all. In fact, this is not a particularly complex Port Ellen, quite the opposite, it is remarkably compact, centred upon a fusion of camphor, clay and tar. Perhaps that is precisely what makes it so eminently ‘Port Ellen’. With water: the DNA of the younger expressions we could try, like 10 yo, is present at 100%, which is quite astonishing and reflects a blending choice that I find admirable. Proof that one can remain entirely distillate-oriented at forty-six years of age. We are speaking of the age of this Port Ellen, not that of the very engaging master blender, naturally. Mouth (neat): maximum power, tarry, salty, almost vinegary, acidic, razor-sharp and resinous... Do not expect to enjoy this while reclining in a Chesterfield listening to Purcell or Britten, this is more Ozzy meets Lemmy (RIP × 2). With water: much the same comments apply, this is a genuine brute. The G&M was more civilised, more finely chiselled. Finish: extremely long, with lemon and, above all, hectolitres of seawater. The aftertaste then is frankly peppery. Comments: this cask, or these casks, could probably carry on until they reach one hundred years of age, assuming any remains. At a rough estimate, of course... Our score here is almost anecdotal. Who just said ‘as usual’? Who?
SGP:367 - 92 points. |
All this, of course, while we await the first releases from the ‘new’ Port Ellen, though we’ll probably need to be a little patient… So? |
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