For Whisky Lovers Whiskey Wednesday: Port Ellen 27 YO Single Malt Whisky – Scotch Whisky News
May 26th, 2012
Hello Fellow WhiskeyLovers –
Have I got a treat for you.
Say the words “Port Ellen” to anyone who’s knowledgeable about single malt whiskies, and like a Pavlovian dog their eyes will light up, their rate of breathing will quicken and you’ll see them begin to swallow a lot as their mouth begins to water with desire.
Established on Islay’s south coast in 1825 by A K Mackay and Co., Port Ellen was taken over by the shrewd and energetic John Ramsay in 1836, and became the first distillery to trade with North America in 1848. Ramsay secured the right to export in larger casks and store the casks in bonded warehouses prior to export, a system which persists to this day.
After John Ramsay’s death, Port Ellen stayed in the hands of his family until the 1920s when it was acquired by DCL in 1925. DCL closed the distillery in 1929, but it continued to operate a maltings and bonded warehouses until it was re-opened with two more stills in 1966-67. In 1973 a large drum maltings was built that continues to supply malt to all the distilleries on Islay to this day.
Port Ellen is a versatile malt, with considerable differences of style evident between different bottlings. Some sherry-casked Port Ellen can be beautifully rich, spicy, sweet and leathery; bourbon and refill casks often show a more austere, peppery medium-weighted style. Common characteristics, though, are a high level of peatiness and, in the best examples, a phenomenal complexity which Islay fans adore.
Port Ellen was closed in the slump of 1983, but the whisky made in the 17 or so years between its re-opening and final closure has acquired a reputation as some of the finest to have been made on Islay in that time. For these reasons Port Ellen has become one of the most sought-after of the lost distilleries by collectors, investors and aficionados.
Prices for Port Ellen have increased steadily over the last decade as the reputation of the distillery grows and supplies dwindle. The first official bottling from Diageo, released in 2001, has more than trebled in price to around $550, while older independent bottlings can now fetch prices up t0 $800-$900. There have also been myriad independent bottlings by independent bottlers like Signatory and Douglas Laing.
Which brings me to this weeks spectacular Whisky opportunity: Port Ellen 27 Year Old Single Malt Whisky by Douglas of Drumlanrig. Distilled in February 1983, just before the distillery closed, this whisky is the immaculate balance between the peat, malt and oak, with tastes of honey, vanilla, and spice released in controlled waves.
This is an EXTREMELY limited whiskey, with only 120 bottles released worldwide in March 2010. But with our man “Nicky The Neck” on the case, once again we’ve secured more than our fair share.
And so, I’m thrilled to offer you the opportunity to acquire a bottle of Port Ellen 27 Year Old Single Malt Whisky for $435/ bottle (limit 2 bottles per customer please).
I urge you to act swiftly on this if you are interested. This is another once in a lifetime chance to acquire a highly collectable bottle of whisky…but then hide it when you get it. Because once it’s gone…
And until next week…have fun!
Doug Stone
Founder
ForWhiskeyLovers.com
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