Port Ellen 30 Year Old Platinum Selection

Douglas Laing Old & Rare Platinum Selection. Single cask refill hogshead limited to 260 numbered bottles. Thirty year old Port Ellen distilled November 1979 and bottled August 2010 by Douglas Laing for the Old & Rare Platinum selection Port Ellen Port Ellen Distillery was established by Alexander K. Mackay on the southern coast of the Isle of Islay at Port Ellen in 1825. Port Ellen was a malt whisky distillery but closed in 1983 and whilst the distillery buildings remain Port Ellen drum maltings occupy part of the site and participates in Feis Ile, the annual Islay Festival of Malt and Music. Most recent official bottling of Port Ellen single malt whisky was the Port Ellen 11thRelease. During the winter of 1823-24 James Fox tested his newly designed spirit safe at Port Ellen Distillery prior to its introduction in all Scottish licenced distilleries by 1825 in order to comply with enactment of the Excise Act of 1823. Thus Port Ellen Distillery was the first Scottish distillery to install a spirit safe and James Fox was paid £428 for his work.  Quite distinctly and interestingly citric on the nose – anticipate and detect also a bonfire ash style allied to homebaked scones.  Palatewise the sweetness is carried over – then heads into soft summer tar, and dry soot with a drift of sweet smoke.  Long on the finish – it is very camphor and (old fashioned) cough drop in style.