Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask, Port Ellen 1982, 26 years old

I'm very proud of this review. For four years, I've been reviewing whiskies, and one I always wanted to try was a Port Ellen. I know this is from an independent bottler, but it has a lot of magic. It was very important for me to try one before the distillery's reopening, just to taste a dram from a distillery that closed its doors in 1983, the year I was born. Since then, whiskies became collector's items, and prices went crazy. I was in an amazing bar in Aberdeen, called the grill, and I saw it. A 26-year-old, 50% ABV Islay malt, an Old Malt Cask Port Ellen. So... how was it?..... It was fantastic. On the nose: a very interesting note of 'Box of Cigarettes,' lemon zest, oranges, dry grass. Citric, peaty, simple but great. A lemon note that feels very fancy appears after the first sip. Prunes and LEMON PIE. On the palate, it was a superb dram: very smooth; fancy peat with mild pepper. Vanilla, lemon, pepper, and chocolate. A perfect score here. The aftertaste is the most 'normal' part of this experience, but still good. Ginger/peppery spice and hints of peat. Chocolate milk aftertaste. Overall, this lived up to my expectations. As you know, I strive to be as objective as possible in my reviews, and this was great; my initial feelings had nothing to do with my score, which is a solid 96 out of 100. Mission accomplished, I had a Port Ellen. Cheers!