Port Ellen 35 years

About the Port Ellen 35 years

Port Ellen 35 years is a single malt Scotch whisky from the Islay coast of Scotland. Port Ellen distilled this spirit in 1978 before the stills went cold for good in 1983. Bottled at cask strength for Diageo's 2014 Special Releases, this Port Ellen 35 years release marks the fourteenth annual appearance. It joined a celebrated line of annual bottlings from surviving warehouse stock. Diageo drew it from refill American and European oak casks after thirty-five years of warehouse rest. The distillery once produced lean, maritime malt on the rocky shore east of Port Ellen village. Its tall stills helped define the character of Islay whisky through the 1970s. Since closure, every Special Release has drawn from a shrinking pool of casks that cannot be replaced. Fans of closed-distillery bottlings know Port Ellen as one of the most coveted names in Scotch whisky. The 2014 edition continues a tradition that began when Diageo first rescued these casks from quiet warehouses. Pineapple and citrus lead a fresh, smoky opening with floral spice and grassy malt underneath. Dried fruit and raisins mingle with ginger warmth and sweet oak across the palate. Vanilla and grape notes sit beside a malty core that feels neither heavy nor thin. Official notes describe rich fruit giving way to saltiness and spice, folded into the smoky framework you expect here. Wood smoke and spice carry through a long finish that stays smoky without turning sharp. Only 2,964 individually numbered bottles left the warehouse for this 2014 release. Each one represents stock from a mothballed distillery that may never run again. Enjoy this rare Islay single malt neat to explore its layered smoke, fruit, and sweet oak. Collectors often chase these Special Releases because each annual bottling tells its own story. This edition balances power with refinement in a way that suits experienced peat lovers. It rewards patient sipping when you want whisky with serious depth, history, and genuine Islay character.