Port Ellen 30 Year Old Rare Platinum Selection

Douglas Laing Old & Rare Platinum Selection. Thirty year old Port Ellen normally reserved for Duty Free markets. Single refill hogshead distilled December 1979 and bottled June 2010. 217 bottles. 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.  Still fresh and briny on the nose, it carries dry sandand a citric lime-y style .... not massively Islay in character yet.  But on the palate it is peppery, peaty andwarmingly spiced as it is held – running then to subtle light tarry andcreosote engine room flavours.  On thefinish all these combine to create a warm spiced, ashy, sooty character.