PORT ELLEN 1978 - RARE MALT SELECTION

You've probably seen my review of the 1966 Bruichladdich I brought 'home' to Islay to drink empty...

A very good whisky compadre of mine did the same thing for this trip - only he brought a bottle of Rare Malt 1978 22yo Port Ellen to finish - what a great guy, eh? :-)

Here's my take on it...

Port Ellen Bay, May 12th 2015 © The Malt Desk 2015

Port Ellen 1978 22yo (October 2000) 60,5%, Rare Malt Selection

Colour is straw

Nose:
Very fresh and lively, lots of what I'd call ozone freshness, but also quite a lot of peat and sweetness, like some very discreet refill sherry casks. Add some seashore saltiness and a mineral note as well - like some rubble going through a grinder. Also some vanilla in there along with a style I can only refer to as a Clynelish-like waxiness, tar/chimney in there as well + some fruit note I can't quite put my finger on... The whole thing is quite balanced... even at 60,5%

Taste:
Is this really 60,5%?? its quite gentle, actually... though maybe you have to be a regular cask strength whisky drinker to think like that... We got peat and smoke in here, of course, but never in more that it allows some lovely boiled fruit notes, some lemon and peppery spices to come though. There's quite a coastal/maritime edge to this one as well with more tar, salt, and what I'd imagine licking a lobster pod would taste like.


Everything comes perfect measures, no note outweighs the others - which is makes this close to, if not, a classic!!

Finally, a huge thanks to MBO for bringing this bottle to Islay!

91/100!

MILLBURN 1969 35YO - RARE MALT SELECTION

Today, the city of Inverness at the head of the Great Glen has no distilleries, but it hasn't always been like that... and up until the around the mid-1980s there were 3 distilleries operating in the city - those were Glen Albyn, Glen Mhor and Millburn.

Today though, the closes distillery is either Glen Ord Distillery to the North West or Tomatin Distillery south of the city on the A9 road, both located about 15 miles from Inverness.

I recently had the opportunity to try the 35yo Millburn from the much acclaimed Rare Malt Selection, in fact I did not only try it at the tasting, I also ended up with a small dreg to enjoy in the comfort of my own 4 walls, which means I can give this oldie the extra attention it deserves...

Millburn Distillery in the 1970s - photo by R. Hume from Facebook Millburn Community

Millburn 1969 35yo (b.xx.04.2005), 51,5%, Rare Malt Selection

Colour is light amber

Nose:

Fermented fruit and especially by on apple and banana. Quite some vanilla, citrus and some ginger in there too along with some smoky notes (faint chimney). After a while some very musty/old cupboard notes comes through... The whole thing is like a fruit bowl left in the sun for too long - if that makes any sense ;-)

Taste:

This is old whisky 101, lovely tropical fruit... melon, pineapple, peach and oranges and very honey'ed. There's marzipan, hints of nutmeg, cointreau. Gets very citrussy mid palate for a couple of seconds but then recedes and leaves a very noticeable and lovely smoky/ashy trail.

What a whisky! Grrrrrrreat stuff!

91/100!