The oldest Port Ellen ever released is a classic: a mind-blowing dry, salty, coastal dram. Dense peat, almost meaty; smokiness abounds, with driftwood, brine, zested lime, greengages, and new chamois leather notes. Satin smooth, with saltiness and sweet citrus, it’s peppery at full strength though it takes water well. Dilutes to honey, barley, and baked lemon notes, developing a thick creaminess before finishing with banana candy, peat smoke, and chocolate. (555 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2022)

The nose opens with coal-fire smoke and musty orchard fruits, which freshen in time. Peaches and mandarins, a hint of brine, and lit cigar. Remarkably vivid orange notes on the palate, with coal, sea salt, and black tea. Black pepper, tar, and persistent tangy orange notes in the long finish. Price is for entire Prima & Ultima Collection, of which this whisky is a part. (436 bottles) £20,000

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Fall 2020)

Port Ellen whiskies are just going to keep getting rarer and more expensive. This old-fashioned whisky is beginning to show its age, but is still holding up nicely. It’s clean, with no excessive oak, and a soft, sweet maltiness for balance. Earthy and rooty at times, with tarry rope, beach pebbles, leafy smoke, bourbon barrel char, black licorice, lemon peel, and hints of shellfish and diesel fumes (like following a boat in the ocean). Long, smoky, lightly briny finish.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Spring 2010)

This 1979 vintage is the 17^th Special Releases Port Ellen. It has been aged in refill American oak hogsheads and butts. The nose offers fresh-mown grass, ripe pears, and damp tweed, before smoked fish and bonfire aromas emerge. The oily palate features spicy peat, barbecued meat, and peaches in syrup. Very long in the finish; smoky and earthy, with a hint of chili and mouth-drying tannins. (2,988 bottles)

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2017)

The sixteenth Special Releases Port Ellen is the oldest to date. Initially, sea breeze on the nose, brine, rock pools, and gentle iodine, followed by dried fruits, peat, and wood polish. Full-bodied, very silky, again with brine to the fore, plus sweet peat, drying slowly, ginger, black pepper, and balancing tropical fruit notes. The finish is long, with burnt oak embers and licorice. Diageo Special Releases 2016. (2,900 bottles)

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2016)

Scarcity and the secondary market have driven prices up, so either buddy-up to a rich guy, or club together to try this. Greater levels of cask interaction have added an extra dimension to a whisky that is often skeletal. The smoke’s in the background, as salted cashew, peppermint, tansy, furniture polish, and smoked meats take center stage. The palate is slowly expanding and smoked, with some chocolate and wax. Finally, a Port Ellen that is truly, classically mature. A killer. (2,964 bottles)

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Winter 2014)

Now the one that peat freaks wait patiently for every year, which makes it the bottling that produces the most debate. For me, this is up there with last year’s bottling, which itself ushered in a return to high standards after a slight dropping-off in expressiveness. This is different, however. Yes, the color is as pale as ever — has anyone ever tasted an over-oaked Port Ellen? — and yes, the nose initially shows all of the distillery’s austere notes: think of a wet fish counter and the sensation of the sea rather than overt ‘fishiness,’ while there’s also a chilled cucumber note. The difference is the sweetness, which is more to the fore, and also, it would seem, a slight dropping-off in massive smokiness. Here the peat is integrated into the whole. The palate has a numb spot right on the front, then wasabi-like heat coupled with olive oil. Soon the sea rolls in and it stands there like some creature from the Black Lagoon covered with balls of tar, draped in wet seaweed, encrusted with barnacles and clams — and clutching a kipper. But don’t forget the sweetness that spreads across the tongue and slowly drifts into fresh spice and antiseptic. Complex…and there’s a scant 3,000 bottled for the globe. [not available in the U.S.] £280

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2011)

Port Ellen’s make was usually filled into old casks to maximize its smoke when used young. To us, therefore, it’s Islay’s most austere malt, yet the guys who worked there all talk of its sweetness. Here, finally, is an example of that. Yes, there’s some wet slate and briny smoke, but it’s balanced by citrus, waxy fruits, and a central sweetness adding complexity. It might have taken a long time to get here, but it was worth the wait. (Editor's Choice)

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2012)

Amber color. Full aroma of peat smoke, with interwoven notes of seaweed, burning leaves, leather, and fudge. Medium in body, with a slight oily texture. Powerful and evolving in flavor, with great depth. It begins somewhat sweet up front with notes of vanilla and toffee, followed by a peat smoke explosion. Lingering notes of seaweed, oak, salt and pepper add complexity. Finally, the whisky becomes slightly sweet again, with lingering smoke.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Spring 1992)

Faint smoke on the nose, with orange and malt. Floral notes in time, plus nougat. More orange, and star anise on the palate, with overt woodsmoke, old leather, and developing dark chocolate. The finish is long and lightly smoky. (1,380 bottles) £6,500

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Fall 2020)

These Port Ellen whiskies are becoming increasingly rare since the distillery closed down for good in 1983. This is a very good example of an old-fashioned Islay whisky: never heavy, but with lots of kick. There’s plenty of wet leaf, bonfire smoke, coal tar, and some earthy, damp kiln notes and brine. But you’ll discover a lovely honeyed maltiness for balance, along with tangerine, dirty martini, and cocoa for complexity. Smoky, briny finish. There will be a time when some of us will tell the next generation of whisky drinkers about the joys of Port Ellen. Mare sure you’re one of those telling the story, not listening to it. (Exclusive to Kensington Wine Market.) $250 (Canadian)

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2009)

The seventh limited edition release of Port Ellen whiskies by Diageo. Not as vibrant and intense as younger bottlings (particularly on the nose), but nicely matured with a satisfying sweet foundation. Notes of toffee and roasted nuts permeate though the peat kiln smoke, coal tar, fish nets, and charred oak. Seaweed and brine, more reserved mid-palate, emerges noticeably on the finish. The Port Ellen bottlings are getting older (the distillery closed in 1983) and they are getting more expensive. This one still captures the essence of Port Ellen.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Spring 2008)

Port Ellen, for sure! Very old-fashioned in nature: intertwined notes of tarry rope, coal soot, rooty peat, toffee, dark chocolate, and walnuts, spiked with coffee bean, anise, cracked peppercorn, and a hint of ginger. Dry, smoky, long, slightly austere finish. This Port Ellen is a bit moody (maybe even has an attitude problem), but I’m not complaining.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Summer 2010)

This, the fifth of TWE’s ongoing Elements bottlings of Islay’s legendary closed distillery, does not disappoint. The nose is akin to salted chocolate, with a wasabi-like earthiness lurking behind. Port Ellen’s characteristic flintiness is there in the form of rock-pools and hot sand inside seashells, while the smoke hints at sphagnum moss, marsh gas, and burnt cake. The palate has touches of smoked eel and a hint of pear. As enigmatic as ever, in other words. £175 (500 ml)

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2012)

One of the last remaining vintages from an Islay distillery which will be missed dearly. This is obviously from a sherry cask, and the peat smoke, sherry, and oak-aging is married nicely here. It a brooding Port Ellen. Notes of peat fires, fig, kippers, toffee, vanilla, and dry oak take turns entertaining the palate. Considering its age, it isn’t excessively oaked, and the Port Ellen character still shines through. If you’re going to track down a bottle of Port Ellen before they get really difficult to find, this one is worth serious consideration.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Fall 2005)

Matured in refill European oak sherry butts, this year’s Special Release has more weight than many previous expressions and a fascinating smokiness that comes across like a just-lit fire: fire lighter, burning paper, fire grate, and wood smoke. The more active oak adds walnut skin notes and rich dried fruits before the smoke returns. All very sophisticated with enough sweetness to balance. Excellent, but, ouch, that price!

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Winter 2015)

An elder Port Ellen, but still showing plenty of Port Ellen character. It’s chock full of kiln smoke, damp forest, seaweed, charcoal, brine, and tar. Additional notes of licorice root, kalamata olive, cinnamon, and black pepper, with teasing citrus emerging occasionally. Warming, tarry, dry smoke finish. An old-fashioned, pungent Islay whisky.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Summer 2009)

Here’s a classical Port Ellen, where the intense, even monomaniacal delivery of smoke mixes with damp face flannel, purple smoke, green ferns, and rapeseed oil. Lots of minerality, to the point of being almost flintily uncompromising. Water makes it more naked. The palate is excellent, with an explosion of preserved lemon-accented smokiness, touches of Spanish paprika, a sweet syrupy center, before a massive licorice finish. Peatiness for the purist, but whenever was that different? (2,958 bottles).

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2014)