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Port Ellen 24 years

spicy peaty
4.6
(3)€3,936Scotland, Islay, Single Malt

Flavours

Whisky character

Fresh
Warm
Mild
Full
Smooth
Spicy

Taste mentions

Facts

Port Ellen stopped production in 1983, yet its spirit still shapes how we think about Islay single malt. This bottling comes from one of the last years before the stills went cold. Drawn from stock Diageo saved for its Special Releases. The character is layered peat without blunt force. Brine and smoke sit beside baked apples and maple syrup sweetness. Oak and dried fruit deepen over time in the glass. Lemon citrus cuts through at the end. Pour it neat and let it unfold slowly. This is a rare snapshot of a distillery the whisky world refused to forget.

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The Whisky Exchange
The Whisky Exchange
700ml
€4,167.88 ( £3,600 )
700ml
€4,341.54 ( £3,750 )

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About the distillery

Distillery

Port Ellen

Port Ellen distillery was established on the Scottish island of Islay in 1825. The distillery was known for its production of heavily peated single malt whisky, which was popular with blenders. It operated until 1983, when it was closed due to overproduction and a decline in demand for whisky. The distillery's buildings and equipment have been preserved, and Port Ellen's remaining whisky stocks have been used in various bottlings, making it a sought-after collector's item among whisky enthusiasts. The distillery's iconic pagoda roofs and whitewashed walls have also become a familiar sight on the Islay landscape. Port Ellen's whisky is known for its smoky, peaty character, with notes of salt, seaweed, and fruit. Its single malt is considered to be one of the finest examples of Islay whisky, and is prized for its complexity and depth of flavor. In 2017, it was announced that the distillery would be reopened and restored by its current owner, Diageo. The new Port Ellen distillery is expected to produce whisky using traditional methods and equipment, while incorporating modern technologies to improve efficiency and sustainability. The first spirit from the revived distillery is expected to be released in the early 2030s.

4Average rating

65Whiskies on Distilld

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Most popular whiskies from Port Ellen

About the Port Ellen 24 years

Port Ellen 24 years is a single malt Scotch whisky from Islay, Scotland. Port Ellen distillery closed in 1983. Yet this third Diageo Special Release draws on spirit from before the stills went quiet. Every drop of Port Ellen 24 years was laid down in 1979. It was bottled at natural cask strength after long warehouse ageing. It forms part of Diageo Special Releases 2003, a series built around finite stocks from mothballed distilleries. The Port Ellen site sat on Islay's south coast beside the sea. For decades it produced peated malt mainly for blending houses across Scotland. Its single malts only gained wide recognition after closure, when the remaining casks became objects of serious collector interest. Diageo launched annual Special Release bottlings from those reserves. The 2003 edition was the third in that celebrated series. Only nine thousand bottles left the warehouse, and each one carries a piece of lost Islay production. Smoky peat and brine rise first, joined by baked apples and peach sweetness. Oak and toffee add warmth as dried fruit and leather deepen the profile. Medicinal notes and spice flicker through a vegetative, mineral core that feels unmistakably Islay. Fresh fruit brightness cuts the smoke, while maple syrup and citrus linger into a long, warming finish. This Islay single malt rewards patience in a good glass. Pour it neat and take your time with each sip rather than rushing. The layers unfold slowly, from salt and smoke through sweet fruit to oaky depth. Collectors still chase these annual releases because each bottle captures a distillery the industry mourned for decades.