Bea's Birthday Booze: Port Ellen 25 year old 1982 Signatory, cask 2846

My baby Beatrice turned SEVEN years old on Sunday. I can't fully process that reality through any of the dusty chambers in my frontal lobe. When I watch her hurry up the concrete steps into her elementary school, smiling at someone inside the building, lugging her backpack packed solid with the many provisions of a child of divorce, skirt hem bouncing around her pale knees, only then do I realize this is 2024. Outside of that moment, I only seem to live in some detached zone where the years merge, my body increasingly fights against breaking stasis, my hearing worsens, and my tolerance for nonsense lessens.

So here's some Port Ellen, because things change.

Distillery: Port Ellen
Ownership: Diageo
Region: Port Ellen, Islay
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Age: 25 years old (11 Nov 1982 - 16 May 2008)
Maturation: refill sherry butt
Cask number: 2846
Outturn: 234 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 59.3%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

No one makes noses like this anymore. Mesquite-smoked pork and almonds. Kiln chimneys. Nocino, cloves, and blood oranges. Frangelico and mint chip ice cream. Hints of menthol and nut roast. The palate starts with jute rope, tar, black walnuts, and herbal bitterness. Luxardo cherries, grapefruit juice, mint, and peated mango arrive later. The long finish offers heavy smoke, mango juice, honey, and a bright bitterness.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1¾ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Limes and lemons push the kiln smoke back a bit in the nose. Ocean air and a hint of milky chocolate appear next, followed by pipe tobacco, pipe smoke, and almond butter. The palate has a pristine mix of bitterness (wormwood and coffee) and juices (mango and blood orange), with quiet touches of hazelnuts and mint leaf in the background. The finish holds onto those blood oranges, hazelnuts, and wormwood bitterness, with a little more smoke arising.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Stellar. Though the angels enjoyed this cask, consuming more than two-thirds of its contents in 25 years, they left behind la crème. The vibrancy of the nose and palate nearly overwhelms, whether the whisky is served neatly or not. It's gorgeous stuff, best enjoyed slowly, though the temptation to consume it all is difficult to silence. (If you doubt my superlatives, check out this fellow's review; he's had a few more PEs than I.) Now, onto more old whisky...

Availability - Secondary market?
Pricing - 🤐
Rating - 92

Port Ellen 14 year old 1983 vs Caol Ila 7 year old 1989, a Signatory Taste Off

(Please note: the fill levels for all six of the following Signatory minis were in the neck.
Because I do tastings at night and prefer to photograph during the AM for daylight purposes,
what you often see in my photos is what remains of the samples/minis/etc. from the night before.)

Four years ago, blogger Oliver Klimek said "Who needs Brora and Port Ellen when we have Clynelish and Caol Ila!"  In less than a year after this post well-aged single cask Caol Ila prices doubled or tripled.  That of course had nothing to do with the fact that all long-matured whisky prices were exploding at that point time (and continue to).  Instead, I think we can all agree that it's Oliver's fault.  Gee whiz, thanks, Oliver.

In 1983, DCL (proto-Diageo) closed the old Port Ellen distillery, but kept the larger, more modern Caol Ila distillery open.  Thirty years later Port Ellen has become the Karuizawa or Stitzel-Weller of the Scotch whisky industry.  Or have Karuizawa and Stitzel-Weller become the Port Ellens of the Japanese and American whisky industries?  More to the point, Port Ellen bottlings were highly sought after and are super duper duper duper expensive.  Notice the change in verb tense there: were/are.  No one except for those with the bankroll to buy a three thousand dollar whisky bottle actually chase any of the Port Ellen bottlings at this point in time.  Meanwhile, Caol Ila keeps on beep-boop-beeping its software-run production along, often cranking out some very good stuff.  And though the independent bottlings of older Caol Ila are no longer affordable to the majority of whisky fans, those whiskies can be had for less than the price of one's mortgage.  What a bargain!

So I found myself with one Caol Ila, distilled back in the '80s and younger than its official Diageo bottlings, and one Port Ellen, also from the '80s and at half the age of anything Diageo or the indies can now bottle.  With their straw color they both appeared to have been aged in refill casks, thus possibly very spirit-forward.  Clearly the responsible thing to do was to drink them side by side.

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CAOL ILA 7yo 1989 Signatory
Cask #4516
Nov. 29, 1989 - May 1997
43%abv

NEAT
The nose starts out with tar, roses, celery, and sheep(!), followed by a solid menthol medicinal note.  Then band-aids and a hint of mothballs.  And the PVC-loaded baseball card sheets of my youth.  The menthol shows up in the sharp and mineral palate as well.  A good note of bonfire-scorched marshmallows lightens things up.  A few Milk Duds too.  The peat grows darker with time, its smoke getting heavier as it goes.  Suddenly a BIG umami note appears and stays the course.  The hum of peat runs through the finish.  Sea salt, green bell peppers, and a tangy edge.  Some graham crackers -- we have the whole s'mores here!  A good length to it considering the age and abv.

It's in good shape at this strength, but I'll add a little bit of water.

WITH WATER (~40%abv)
All it took was a few drops to transform the nose.  Grapefruits, cherries, roses, peat smoked molasses candy (Is that thing? Please be a thing.), and candy canes.  Umami takes front seat in the palate, reminding me of toasted sesame seeds and the great toasted seaweed I had in Japan.  Smaller notes of cane sugar and bitter cocoa add complexity.  The finish is loaded with umami as well, along with a hint of sweetness, and a nice spicy sparkle.

COMMENTS:
While this may not work for every palate, it REALLY worked for mine.  It was young without being harsh, had some fascinating complexity, and seemed nearly oak free.  More importantly, it smelled and tasted great.  I wish I could say that the current super young Caol Ilas I've tried recently were at least half as good as this.  But they weren't.  I would also like to point out that all of the quality here is delivered via a 43%abv.  Though I thought I could yell "First!" for a review on this cask, Serge reviewed it twice (here and here), liking it considerably less than I, and finding different notes to it.  Though his buddy Davin (Mr. Canada?) gave it an 87, so listen to Davin on this one.

Availability - ?
Pricing - ?
Rating - 88

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PORT ELLEN 14yo 1983 Signatory
Cask #266
Feb. 9, 1983 - July 1997
43%abv

NEAT
The nose has a little of the menthol note as well.  Some fresh plums and peaches.  Plaster and something more than vaguely ureic.  The palate has a sweet malty start that quickly fades behind raw, hot, salty spirit.  It's a little woolly and maybe there's a hint of bacon.  It has a very bland peat character, but even that collapses behind a violent bitter note.  Ah, the roasted marshmallows make a cameo in the finish.  Otherwise it's peppery ocean water, ashy peat, and a lot of bitterness.

Perhaps it needs water?

WITH WATER (~35%abv)
Well, the nose is a little fruitier.  Maybe a bit of caramel and some peat.  But, nope.  Same quantity of pee.  Luckily it all fades out relatively quickly.   The palate is short on peat, which is a shame because the rest is mostly generic sweetness, bitterness, rough graininess, and a bit of cardboard.  The finish is similar to the neat finish, though plainer.

COMMENTS:
No, it didn't need water.  It needed to be sent to blenders.  Again, I thought I'd be the first to review this one, but nooooope, SV reviewed it too.  He thought it was an utter turd (my words, not his).  My sentiments are close to his, but I don't think it's a complete fail.  It's just kinda bleh.  Only once one gets over the shock of having a significantly subpar Port Ellen, can one see it's not a tragedy.  It's just a mediocre whisky.  Hey, I might be the blender it needed.

Availability - ?
Pricing - ?
Rating - 71

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FINAL THOUGHTS:
This was not a disappointment thanks to the happy surprise that was the Caol Ila.  My faith in that distillery's techno-spirit strengthens every year.  In this instance, though its whisky was half the age of the more famous Islay's, the Caol Ila was rounder and richer, and even swam better.

One can't assume that because the words Port Ellen appear on a bottle's label the whisky inside will be of considerable quality.  That's a little message to those of you scouring auctions for lesser known PE bottlings.  Perhaps some dusty Caol Ilas might bring the joy you're looking for, instead.  At least they'll be cheaper.

On Monday, the old Signatories continue...

Mathilda Malt Report: Port Ellen 25 year old 1982 Old Malt Cask

Port Ellen.  It's expensive.  It's also frequently excellent.  I've never had a Port Ellen that wasn't great.  Okay, I've had all of five PEs but anyway.  This is the last Port Ellen sample in my stash and very likely the last review of the dead Islay distillery here on this blog.  I certainly can't afford a bottle and I don't think anyone is actually opening his or her Port Ellens anymore.  Anyhoo, this (paid for) sample is from the LASC Dead Distilleries event in 2014.  I worked the door and took my pour home with me.

The undertaker is sorry for your loss.

Distillery: Port Ellen
Ownership: Heartless Bastards
Region: Islay
Bottler: Douglas Laing
Age: 25 years (November 1982 - January 2008)
Maturation: refill ex-bourbon barrel
Cask #: I have no idea, two other folks have reviewed this cask but neither listed a cask number, also Whiskybase has no listing for it
Limited Release: 300 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 50%

I tasted this alongside yesterday's Ardbeg 30 year old...

Its color is five beer piss.  Yay!  The nose is very spirity.  Burnt barbecue sauce on the grill, arugula, mint leaves, celery, and Spanish smoked paprika.  Some cashew butter, cassia cinnamon, veggie peat.  Was this from a 15th-fill barrel.  This is like young Talisker and Caol Ila.  After 30 minutes, a little bit of brighter fruit sneaks in.  Then yeast and parsley.  Kristen said it smelled like sewage.  The palate is aggressive and herbal.  Think weed and hot basil.  Quite sweet and grassy, then rock candy and brown sugar syrup, making it feel slightly rummy.  More smoke than moss in the finish.  Black pepper, brown sugar, and paprika.  Simple but full.

Had I not been present when the bottle was opened, I'd never believe this was a 25 year old anything, let alone a Port Ellen.  It reads like an Islay, but an uncut 5-8 year old Islay through and through.  So it's not bad, but it shows nearly no signs of actual maturation.  I would think one would want something more out of a $1000 whisky, unless you're, you know, "investing" or something.  Money aside, this is still a solid B grade whisky that would appeal to us fans of zany young peaters.  Just don't go in expecting A grade stuff like I just did.

Availability - Auctions and black market
Pricing - $1000ish
Rating - 85

Peatin' Meetin' post #2 - The VIP Whiskys and a thought on sample sizes

So here's the scoop.  LASC had four glamourous (yes, with the extra 'u') single malts for the members.  We had to split them up amongst ourselves, so that resulted in .25oz pours for each of us.  Because these whiskys are seriously above my paygrade, I wanted to have some alone time with them in an atmosphere that would allow for better noising, notes, and memories.  So they all went into little glass Boston Round bottles and were transported home.  Okay, all but one of them.

I then spent that quality time with them on Sunday night.  Here are the results in tasting order, after which I ponder sample sizes:

#1
Bowmore 1982 Samaroli, 21 year old

Distillery: Bowmore

Independent Bottler: Samaroli (Coilltean Range)

Age: 21 years (1982-2004)

Maturation: likely refill casks
Casks: 1011 + 62 + 71

Region: Islay

Alcohol by Volume: 45.0%

This is the one that never made it home.  It went from glass to mouth right on site.  As a result, its notes are briefer than the other three.

Nose, Palate, and Finish - Lavender candy!  There are some tangerine and mango things going on as well, but it was mostly lavender candy.  No FWP (F***ing Who Pucked?, just kidding: French Whore Perfume), no PWF (Pretty Weird Finish), no soap.  Not much peat remains either.  Sweetness and softness.  And this was a rare instance (for me at least) of the nose and palate matching up.

This has to be your thing.  If the old Bowmore lavender note turns you off, then this ain't your dram.  I don't mind it much, but here it was very pretty.  On the whole, I'm cuckoo for independent Bowmores.  Aside from one stinkbomb, I've dug everyone I've tried; each one providing its own trip.  Each one topping the regular official range by some distance.  The indie Bowmores at Peatin' Meetin' were all very good, especially this one.

Availability - Maybe this Italian shop?
Pricing - $350-$400
Rating - 90

The next ones were stored promptly...

#2
Port Ellen 8th Release 1978, 29 years old (OB)

Before this, I'd had two Port Ellens from Scott's Selection, both of which were gorgeous.  They had both been aged in American oak and the result was some of the most graceful peated malt I've ever tried.  Those samples were more substantial than this one, but I believed PE's strengths would shine through.

Distillery: Port Ellen

Bottler: Official (Diageo), 8th Release

Age: 29 years (1978-2008)

Maturation: I'm guessing ex-bourbon refills
Limited Bottling: 5959 of 6618

Region: Islay

Alcohol by Volume: 55.3%

Color - Light gold (it looks darker in the pic because the bottle itself has a dark tint)
Nose - Chimneys on a November night in a small coastal Scottish town.  Fruity apple peat, leather armchair, moss, pencil lead, fruit tart crust, apple pie, pineapple juice cocktail, and white peaches.
Palate - The fluffiest of peat pillows. Makes a man want to hug his Port Ellen (and not just because it would have set him back an even grand). Vanilla bean, a multitude of sugars: brown, confectioner's, fruit, and on and on. Lots of sticky smoky residue.
Finish - A big round finale. The peat bites back along with tart fruits and black coffee.

Haven't had a bad Port Ellen, yet.  A bit more muscle in this OB's peat than in the Scott's bottlings.  It seems like a kitten at the start then goes for the throat like panther.  Oh man, I'm starting to go all J.Murray here.

Availability - High falutin' European shops
Pricing - $800-$1000 (yup)
Rating - 91

Next...

#3
Ardbeg Lord of the Isles (OB)

As per the GREAT Ardbeg Project:

The Lord of the Isles was originally bottled in 2001, and unofficially, it was released as an approximately 25 year old whisky, comprised of 1976 and 1977 casks. It is said to always contain casks from 1976 and 1977 so the whisky would be older as each bottling run was released. Much like the Ardbeg 17, the actual age of Lord of the Isles increases towards the end of its bottling life. Theoretically, the LOTI in 2007 was almost 30 years old.

Finally some all-old Arbeg in the house.  Bring it!

Distillery: Ardbeg

Bottler: Official (LVMH), possibly the 2007 bottling

Age: minimum 25 years, though up to 30 years

Maturation: 15% ex-sherry, 85% ex-bourbon casks
Limited Bottling: 5959 of 6618

Region: Islay

Alcohol by Volume: 55.3%

Color - Light gold
Nose - Buttercream frosting, citrus, piney peat, and fruit cocktail juice arrive first.  Then cherry bubblegum and rosewater after some time.
Palate - Ardbeg ash but in the midground rather than foreground. Ardbeg lemon, but more like lemon creme pie with some fresh berries. More of that piney peat floating in mild molasses.
Finish - Lots of tobacco and ashy earth rumble up creating a very extensive finish, specially for a 46%ABV malt.

As a whole, my favorite of these four.  Also the most compulsively drinkable.  While it did spend between 6-10 years sitting in the bottle, it showed no signs of oxidation.  It seems more rounded and modulated than the current malt, maybe it's because it has had more time to mature.  A pity about the price though.

Availability - Those same high falutin' European shops
Pricing - anywhere between $600 and $1300
Rating - 92

#4
Brora 1981 Old Malt Cask, 21 year old

My first Brora (1972 Connoisseur's Choice) was very drinkable, but mostly characterless, as if it had been a lightly peated Glenfiddich 12 (which would be a great idea, BTW).  The neck-fill on that bottle had been low, so we think that after 18 years with a lackluster seal, the contents of the bottle had oxidized.

Of these four VIP malts, I was looking forward to this Old Malt Cask Brora the most.  Old school peated Highland malt is my favorite style, thus I so want to love Brora.  But this one......this one smelled fishy from the start.


Distillery: Brora

Bottler: Douglas Laing (Old Malt Cask) 

Age: 21 years (June 1981 - October 2002)

Maturation: ex-sherry cask
Limited Bottling: 360

Region: Northern Highlands

Alcohol by Volume: 50.0%

Color - Light gold, again
Nose - CRAZY SULFUR. Wham! One sniff would make J.Murray shart in his chapeau (I'm classy). There's a swimming pool under the fog of struck matches. A little actual sherry under there too. Cinnamon syrup with smoked tropical fruits and apricots.  But mostly sulfur.
Palate - CRAZY SULFUR.  Struck match liquor.  Light peating.  Dirt and horseradish.
Finish - CRA---- you know the song. Slight bitterness, more of the dirt, like licking rocks.  The peat makes itself most noticeable here.

Far and away the most sulfurous whisky I've ever tried.  I don't mind a little sulfur in the mix since it brings to the malt another facet.  But this was booming with element 16.  I'm 0 for 2 with my Broras.  My search continues.

Availability - Other Brora OMCs can be found at aforementioned retailers
Pricing - low ball at $450, maxing out at $FirstBorn
Rating - 79 (probably 60 if you're sulfurphobic)

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In the course of tasting these whiskys, it became apparent that it is very difficult to glean acceptable notes from a 7mL sample.  Nosing can still be done on some level, but the process of fully determining palate and finish requires (for me) at least 20mL.

At most public tastings given by distributors, clubs, or reps, a .25oz (7.5mL) pour is the fashion (or de rigueur if you're in that mode).  That quantity is enough to make a drinker respond, "yummy" or "gross" or "it's alright".  But to really dig in with that sort of pour, the taster needs to find a quiet corner of his bedroom, put on some quiet mid-century jazz, and clear his mind.  And even then he can only do so much.

Usually, I have a 30mL pour to work with.  Sometimes a 20mL.  If I'm lucky I have 50mL or 60mL.  I'd rather be thorough, so the bigger the better.  A larger dram equals more time; more time equals more thorough decoding.  I think I did okay with these samples above.  But, like statistics, the palate is better served by a larger sample.