Pe3 Elements of Islay

Pe2 Elements of Islay

Port Ellen PE1 was talk of the town in 2009. It was highly sought after with exceptional prices in auctions. Its successor, Port Ellen PE2, was sold out in just around 24 hours, but the hype seemed a bit smaller afterwards. Nose: starts on very dark chocolate and gunpowder. Notes of burnt wood that seem less strong in PE1. There’s a sherried...

Score 89/100

Port Ellen 26 Year Old 1982 Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask

In 2009 the Belgian importer The Nectar bottled this Port Ellen. Only 193 bottles were available and obviously those are all gone. Thanks to a Dutch friend, I was able to secure a sample. Oh, lovely nose on sweet and sour fruit (think mandarin, cider apples and lime) with a soft touch of vanilla and clear hints of pine cones. Once you get past...

Score 92/100

Port Ellen 1980 Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice

Port Ellen always has a bit of a magical ring to it, so whenever I get the chance to try it, I never let it pass me by. I tried this particular bottling at a friend’s birthday party. It is the Port ellen 1980 in Gordon & Macphail’s Connoisseurs Choice series, bottled in 1996. So it had almost spent 20 years in the bottle by the time my friend...

Score 80/100

Port Ellen 1979 30 YO, 9th Release

The reviewed sample is of a 1979/2009 30 YO Port Ellen, the 9th release from 1979. Many thanks to @maltster for the sample Nose: really gorgeous peat flavours, gentle, yet strong enough to make an impression. The peat seems to manifest both sweet and sour at the same time, and also in a nice alternation. Smoke influence is quite mild, but...

Score 89/100