Port Ellen 32 Year 1979 (2012 Special Release)

The ultimate aim of my birthday weekend was to finally sample an official bottling of Port Ellen. A bucket list item is checked off... for only $30! The bottle: The 7th release, distilled in 1979 and bottled in 2007 at cask strength of 53.8%. Found at Jack Rose. I requested a 1 oz pour, but the bottle had barely a half oz remaining. The bartender ended up charging me less than a third of the price. Initial nose: It smelled like lemon-scented embalming fluid and shoe polish. Like the cadaver lab back in med school. Except this time I’m anticipating this stuff, but it’s far from being ready. It feels a little anxious. Just like I am. Subsequent noses: Much less chemical. A rich and buttery smoke. Lemons, honeycombs, marigolds, and elderflowers, like Chinese oolong. Tasting neat: A tobacco smokiness balanced with medicinal smoke. It tasted of deep-fried minnows. Eucalyptus, parsley, mint. Lemons and grapefruits. Fennel, vanilla, and a slight chili. Very oily, but not nearly as viscous as the Brora I tasted yesterday. Finish: I can still detect hints of this 8 hours later. How is that possible!? First of all, no morning breath. A grassy smoke is the main characteristic. Smoked cactus, overbrewed Oolong, burning cooking oil. I prefer the finish of this PE to the 1978/2014 Brora after considering the nose and palate, but this finish wins it for PE. I award the finish 102 out of 100. Seriously. For reviewers who hesitate to give perfect scores because “what if I encounter something even better?” It’s simple, you just give it a score higher than 100%. No one will reprimand you. Two drops of water: It becomes more somber. The green notes are now confined to some mint at the end. More black tea, more spice, more earthiness. Petrol. Clay. The most significant drawback is now I must return to reality, after just 3 sips of nectar from the gods. Will those 12-year-old Lagavulins ever bring me as much delight again? Will those old independent Caol Ilas I continue to acquire because they resemble independent Port Ellens even matter anymore? Will independent Port Ellens now seem like a lesser option? Anyway, here are the top 10 drams from my incredible weekend: 1. Port Ellen 28y OB 1979/2007 53.2% - 98/100 2. Brora 35y OB 1978/2014 48.6% - 97.5 3. Port Ellen 23y DL OMC 1983/2006 50% - 95 4. Talisker 25y OB 45.8% - 95 5. Johnnie Walker Blue Brora & Rare NAS 46% - 94.5 6. Old Pulteney 21y OB 46% - 94 7. Redbreast 21y OB 46% - 94 8. Talisker 30y OB 45.8% - 92 9. Caol Ila 29y CA SB 1984/2013 55.5% - 90 10. Strathisla 33y HB FC 1967/2000 46.3% - 87

Note: This review is for a Port Ellen 24Y 2nd release, Bottle #0015 at 59.23% ABV--a single dram purchased at the Lochranza Hotel bar on the Isle of Arran from a bottle that was about 9/10ths empty and had been on the shelf for an unknown duration. Three drops of water were added--though it probably didn't require more than one. Now that the details are out of the way... This is very likely one of the most exceptional whisky experiences I've had to date. Even considering the possibility that this bottle had been open and sitting for at least 5 years, it still possessed the most sublime balance of complexity and charm of any whisky I've ever sampled. Perhaps the oxidation enhanced it? If not, this must have been extraordinary when first opened! I'm not the most seasoned whisky expert, but I've tasted quite a bit, and this Port Ellen made me reconsider all my prior whisky opinions. At approximately £1500 a bottle (apparently still available), it's not the most expensive of the Port Ellens, but I can't imagine what could surpass it. Anyway, here are my brief tasting notes recorded while sitting at the bar. They are brief because at the time, I was far more focused on enjoying the dram than dissecting it into specific notes--believe me, it all integrated beautifully. Nose: Light smoke, peat, honey, the ocean--I could have just rested my nose there indefinitely. Taste: Incredibly complex and very smooth (even at 59.23% ABV) and not at all overwhelming. Smoke, fruit, a hint of menthol and anise. Some deep savory undertones and salt. The best, most satisfying whisky I've had to date--that's all that needs to be said. It felt like a steal at £25 per dram! 96+/100 MMB 10/07/16

Few whisky experts seem to recall the original reason for Port Ellen's closure: nobody desired their malts, which is rather ironic. The nose evokes the past, with hints of camphor, motor oil, and sooty steam engines mingling with lemon drops, tobacco leaves, and oysters. The palate is sweet and herbal, opening with subtle peat smoke, orange zest, and mineral notes. Wood sap, licorice, and faint kiwi notes bid farewell as the earthy finish fades. It reflects the quality of Diageo's former special releases, but that's life. RATING: 4.5/5.0 stars ≙ 92 pts → SUPERB

From a 34-year-old official bottling. Feels oily and syrupy. Ripe apple, with no burn despite the high alcohol content. Leaves a dry sensation in the mouth. Adding water reveals the smoke and saltiness. From a 32-year-old independent bottling, old and rare. Similar nose to the 34-year-old. All the elements are amplified. It's more spirit-forward, but in a positive way. The longest finish I've ever experienced in a whisky.

So..... I discovered I'm physically allergic to alcohol (and no I don’t break out in handcuffs 🥴). I Will not be able to taste this bad boy or participate in this site any longer. It’s been real. Cheers! ☕️

Had this at a whisky bar in Oslo...incredible balance. Among the best I've ever experienced.