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Port Ellen 30 years

malty spicy
4.7
(1)€4,440Scotland, Islay, Single Malt

Flavours

Whisky character

Fresh
Warm
Mild
Full
Smooth
Spicy

Taste mentions

Facts

Port Ellen fell silent in May 1983, after just 16 years of production since its 1967 restart. Nothing new ran off the stills for the next 40 years. Every drop of old Port Ellen comes from that closed window, and it will never grow. At 30 years, this bottling has spent most of its life waiting in cask. The peat has softened into something dry and hay-like. Lemon peel and fresh fruit sit up front, then spice arrives. Bottled at 57.7%, it still carries real force. Pour it neat and it opens slowly.

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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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Islay

Most popular whiskies from Port Ellen

About the Port Ellen 30 years

Port Ellen 30 years is a single malt Scotch whisky from Islay, off the west coast of Scotland. The distillery sits on the island's south coast, in the village that shares its name. This is a peated Islay malt, matured for three full decades and bottled at 57.7% ABV. Nothing about it is gentle. Thirty years in wood have rounded the smoke without erasing it. The age statement here is the whole point. Founded in 1825, Port Ellen closed in 1930 and stayed shut for decades. Owners restarted it in 1967, but it ran for only 16 years. In May 1983 the stills went cold again, and the site fell silent for 40 years. Diageo rebuilt and reopened the distillery in March 2024, with new Phoenix stills copied from the old ones. Every mature bottling still comes from that narrow pre-1983 window. The nose leads with warm spice and a clear thread of anise. Fresh fruit follows on the palate, bright and citrus-led. Lemon and lemon peel cut through the age, which keeps the whisky lively rather than tired. The finish is the strange, good part. Tangerine turns dry, then hay and a musty, vegetative note settle in behind old wood. It fades slowly and leaves a faint smoky edge. Recent Port Ellen releases carry bigger numbers, like the 44 year old Gemini bottling. Port Ellen 30 years sits where the smoke and the fruit still balance each other. Younger stock no longer exists, so this age is near the youngest you can find. The 57.7% strength keeps the texture thick, where many old malts thin out. Age, power and finite stock rarely come together like this.