Port Ellen Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Rare & Vintage)

Port Ellen Distillery was founded in 1824 by Alexander Mackay, located on the South Coast of Islay. In 1836 as Alexander Mackay struggled,  John Ramsay took up the distillery on lease. John Ramsay was also a business partner of Walter Frederick Campbell, the owner of Islay and because of which Port Ellen also became the Island's main ferry terminal. The distillery went through its first silent period from 1930 to 1967.  Unfortunately, It finally closed its doors again in 1983 and this time never to be re-opened until Diageo made an announcement in 2017 to re-open again. 

Port Ellen has grown in popularity since its closing largely due to its increasing rarity but also because its whiskies were markedly distinctive from its neighbors with a sharp citrus element, a smokiness dominated by strong maritime notes and a characteristic oiliness in the texture. Given that most of the maturation has been traditionally in refill casks, you may not find any over-oaked Port Ellen despite its long maturation.