Port Ellen 26 Year Old 1983 Provenance

Single sherry butt #5746. A 26 year old from the final year of distillation at Port Ellen distillery.
Distilled Spring 1983 and bottled Winter 2010.

Port Ellen

Port Ellen Distillery was established by Alexander K. Mackay on the southern coast of the Isle of Islay at Port Ellen in 1825. Port Ellen was a malt whisky distillery but closed in 1983 and whilst the distillery buildings remain Port Ellen drum maltings occupy part of the site and participates in Feis Ile, the annual Islay Festival of Malt and Music. Most recent official bottling of Port Ellen single malt whisky was the Port Ellen 11thRelease. During the winter of 1823-24 James Fox tested his newly designed spirit safe at Port Ellen Distillery prior to its introduction in all Scottish licenced distilleries by 1825 in order to comply with enactment of the Excise Act of 1823. Thus Port Ellen Distillery was the first Scottish distillery to install a spirit safe and James Fox was paid £428 for his work. 

The nose opens with leather, runs to caramelised peanuts on a coal fire and develops to a burnt chestnut quality. The palate opens with a spicy sweet sherry influence from the cask but quickly transforms to rich warming peat smoke. The finish is long, still spicy and carries to sweet tar and bonfire ashes.