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Port Ellen 32 years

peaty fruity
3.8
(6)€4,990Scotland, Islay, Single Malt

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Whisky character

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Spicy

Taste mentions

Facts

Port Ellen distilled its final spirit in 1983. The distillery then stood silent for four decades, a byword for a lost way of making whisky. Collectors chased down whatever casks remained, and prices climbed with every rumour of a bottling. This cask was laid down long before Diageo revived the stills in 2024. Salt air off the coast worked into the wood the whole time it aged. Expect iodine and grapefruit rather than heavy smoke, with fennel, licorice and a leathery weight underneath. Citrus and fudge soften the finish, and dried fruit lingers after each sip. Pour it neat and give it time to open. It tastes like four decades of a ghost distillery in a single glass.

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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.

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65Whiskies on Distilld

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About the Port Ellen 32 years

Port Ellen 32 years is a single malt Scotch whisky from the Port Ellen distillery on Islay, Scotland. Bottled at 52.5% ABV after three decades in cask. It carries the coastal character that made this island famous long before the stills fell silent. Port Ellen closed its doors in 1983. Every bottle that survives from before that date has become a piece of whisky history. This expression shows iodine, brine and grapefruit up front, backed by dried fruit and a waxy, leathery texture underneath. The distillery sits on the southern shore of Islay, where barley and brine seem to shape every cask. Port Ellen was founded in 1825, and its maltings still supply barley malt to every distillery on Islay today. It closed in 1983, and for four decades it stood as one of Scotland's most famous ghost distilleries. Diageo eventually rebuilt the original stills using old records and reopened the site in 2024. Casks like this one, laid down long before that revival, are now exceptionally rare. On the palate, Port Ellen 32 years leans into medicinal smoke and iodine rather than sweetness. Grapefruit and lemon cut through first, followed by fennel and a herbal, earthy edge. Underneath sits fudge and caramel, a soft contrast to the brine and salt that Islay whisky is known for. Dried fruit and date notes build slowly, giving the whisky real depth after three decades in oak. Colouring has been added, a common practice in the industry. It keeps the shade consistent across batches without changing the character built by the cask. Serious collectors seek out Port Ellen for exactly this reason. So little was made, and even less remains today. Enjoy it neat, at room temperature, so the citrus and fresh fruit notes have room to open up. Give it a few minutes in the glass before the first sip. What starts sharp and medicinal softens into something rounder, with barley sweetness holding everything together. For anyone building a serious whisky collection, Port Ellen 32 years is a rare find. It lets you taste a distillery that almost disappeared for good.