PORT ELLEN 1982 24YO - BLADNOCH FORUM

I've often, at least in some circles, hinted at Port Ellen being nothing but a mediocre Islay malt, this of course to provoke a response from the die hard fans out there, totally infatuated with Port Ellen for one reason only...  it's a closed distillery. Granted, it down not make much of a malt at a young age (early teens) and the distillery was also originally built to produce malt for blends.

Then owners 'United Distillers' (now Diageo) decided to focus on Caol Ila as their workhorse, producing at the time around x4 times as much spirit as Port Ellen, making that the final blow that would close down the plant... only they did not know how well Port Ellen, or at least the ones (mostly single casks) we see, would mature. Some are stunning - some are, honestly, not very good and certainly not worth whats charged for a bottle of Port Ellen these days. If you want to try something similar to a well aged Port Ellen, go buy a bottle of Caol Ila in its late 20's at a fraction of the price of a Port Ellen...

But like I said, there has also been some cracking single casks bottlings out there and I've been fortunate enough to taste a good deal on my whisky journey so far. There have been some duds along the way as well, but the ones that have made their way onto this measly little blog have all been from good to great! and this next one is great too...

Port Ellen seafront warehouse, October 9th 2008 © The Malt Desk

Port Ellen 1982 (13.10.1982/xx.11.2006) 24yo, 60,4%, Sherry butt#2461, 644 bottles, Bladnoch Forum

Colour is pale amber


Nose:
Initially very little peat or sherry, but instead a very mashy/malty theme along with some vanillas and a baked apple note, hint of cookie dough and something herbal. Feels very fresh, in fact - like a windy day the beach.

Taste:
Drying (alcohol), very delicate spirit here, much more seafront appears - salt, seaweedy, tackle box, some white fruit and a lovely balanced peat followed by a sherried sweetness that gives away to a huge malt surge. Also a citrus burst in there and the whole thing finishes off with medium spicy/peppery finish.

Personally, I love this style of whisky, especially its malt surge is huge!...which is why this one goes all the way up to:

91/100! ... and no extra point for being a PE ;-)

PORT ELLEN 1982 25YO - BLADNOCH FORUM

Sitting here on a late Wednesday night, well its actually turned Thursday by now and have just opened a bottle of Brora from a single sherry butt... very befitting as I'll be doing a review from a distillery that closed the same year (1983) as Port Ellen.

Both were owned by the United Distillers aka Diageo these days... and many words from anoraks has been uttered in agony over the closure of these 2 distilleries. That said, I'm not gonna utter more - I'll just be happy with opportunities I've had to try Port Ellens (and Broras) and being able to go and open a bottle from these distilleries if I feel like it.

This Port Ellen was bottled around 6 years ago when Raymond Armstrong of Bladnoch Distillery was doing bottlings for the members of his online forum... this was before whisky prices went ape shit and this bottle of Port Ellen was aquired for about (without being sure) around £70-80 - great, eh? However, this is now all gone, but instead Raymond's son Martin (whiskybroker.co.uk) is bottling casks also at very decent prices...

Now on to the review...

Port Ellen Bay, Sea front warehouses and pagodas, 5th May 2011 © The Malt Desk

Port Ellen 1982 25yo (xx.11.2007) refill sherry butt#2036, 58,1%, 638 bottles, Bladnoch Forum

Colour is pale gold

Nose:
Old citrus smell, almost OBE, fish box, dull peat, seaweed, salty, oily (petrol). Also some rum soaked fruit in there. After a while some pineapple notes appear among the peaty ones, also some kippery notes in there. Good balance between an almost slight medicinal side and fruity notes...

Taste:
Arrives on citrus notes, peat, tar, shellfish, fishing docks, seaside moss, very mineraly.
Also some dried fruit (supermarket snacks). Old wet oak, spices and getting slightly herbal too. Some barley sugar and peat rounds the whole thing off. The finish is loooong on drying oak and peat.

A lovely expression, but not worth the money PE bottlings are collecting these days...

88/100!

CAOL ILA 1980 BY BLADNOCH FORUM

After 2 unpeated Bruichladdichs - lets have another Islay born whisky - a Caol Ila...and an old one as well.

This one is a very expressive, I think, with loads of maritime notes, which is fun since it - as most Caol Ilas - probably was hauled off of Islay by tanker truck and spent its life maturing in a warehouse in the Central Belt of Scotland.

Anyway, lets get going:

Caol Ila 1980 29yo 55,3% 21.05.1980/04.06.2009, refill sherry hogshead#4940, 235 bottles by Bladnoch Forum

Nose:
Coastal, briny, fishingboat boxes, salt, oily (diesel?), some sweetness, malty - all coated in a layer of peat.

Taste:
Thick malt, coating layer of peat - more than expected from what then nose gave off. Some mint, a vegetable note - I'm thinking fresh cut bell peppers, then seaweed and hints of sweet fruits. Time and water turns it very oaky IMO bordering on oak juice so don't let this baby go swimming in more than literally, 3 drops of water.

Although this one has many things to offer, there is something I can't quite grasp in there, as if it lacks a bit of order/balance between all things, but still a decent Caol Ila. Especially considering its original price at (only) £46 !! back in 2009.

85/100!