I don’t know about you, but I’m not willing to spend today’s prices for new Port Ellen releases… easily € 600 even from independent bottlers. No matter how rare they now are, that’s well above my personal limit.
Luckily we have a small stock hidden away, bought in better times. Like this one, a Port Ellen 1982 single cask bottled by Douglas Laing for The Nectar in 2009.
Port Ellen 26 yo 1982 (56,2%, Douglas Laing OMC for Daily Dram 2009, refill hogshead, ref. 4900, 193 btl.)
Port Ellen 26 yo 1982 (56,2%, Douglas Laing OMC for Daily Dram 2009, refill hogshead, ref. 4900, 193 btl.)Nose: quite vibrant. One of these Port Ellens that strike a nice balance between coastal sharpness and vanilla smoothness. Above average medicinal notes, rather than plain peat. Pine needles and wet tree leafs. Bright citrus notes. Nice grassy notes, evolving towards peppery notes. A fresh orange / banana / apple fruitiness in the background. Very complex.
Mouth: more power, more peat, more sharpness. Very punchy, with pepper, salt, lemon and peat smoke. Still some sweetness (oranges, honey, vanilla). Fades on grassy notes and ginger.
Finish: very long, quite sugary, with a few maritime notes and lemon peel.
Simply excellent Port Ellen. Douglas Laing owned a large number of casks from this distillery, and The Nectar surely knew which one to pick. Intense, but showing a marvelous amount of tiny notes and delicate refinements.
Score: 93/100