Port Ellen 1979 25 Year Old 5th Release 2005

Port Ellen 1979 30 Year Old 9th Release (2009)

This is a “what might have been” kind of review. This is a review of a 30mL sample of a Port Ellen official bottling. The back story: An actual bottle of this 9th release (30 year old) Port Ellen sat at a store near my sister’s house for $369.99 for several years. They also had a bottle of the 8th release. I visited them on two occasions. Both...

Score 88/100

Port Ellen 1979/2011 32 Year Old 11th Annual Release

Port Ellen distillery was founded in 1825 on the southern shore of Islay by Alexander Kerr Mackay. Between 1825 and 1836 ownership of the distillery changed a couple of times, but after John Ramsay was granted a lease on Port Ellen in 1836 it was operated by him and his descendants until the distillery was sold to the Port Ellen Distillery Co....

Score 88/100

Port Ellen 1979 29 Year Old Cask#7089

Nose: Pine, dark chocolate - with water: coriander Taste: Blue Mountain coffee, phenolic, vintage leather, quite salty, chestnuts Finish: Incredibly long, cloves, peat, pepper and anchovies

Score 80/100

Port Ellen 1979 28 Year Old 7th Release

Port Ellen hardly needs an introduction, of course. The distillery, established in 1925 and closed in 1983, enjoys an almost untouchable cult status among whiskybuffs. Rightly so. If you realize that Port Ellen was meant primarily for blending purposes and hence only got 2nd, 3rd of even older re-fill casks (from Lagavulin, among others) for...

Score 94/100