Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Ltd, who bought Distillers Company Limited in 2001, has released a new malt from its ‘Rarest Collection’ – a Port Ellen 40-year-old single malt whisky from March 16th, 1983 – the first release of a Port Ellen since 2013.
The limited release of 209 bottles comes from cask number 667, one of the last batches of Port Ellen production and just a few weeks before Distillers Company Limited closed its doors for the last time in May of the same year.
At 104.8 proof the liquid was matured in a European Oak ex-sherry butt, with the cask initially stored on Islay, until it was laid down to finish maturing in the vaults at Duncan Taylor’s HQ in Aberdeenshire in 2010. Each hand-finished decanter is sequentially numbered with a signed certificate of authenticity.
“When I bought the company from Abe Rosenberg’s family back in 2001, the inventory was incredible, with some amazing rare and old whiskies.” says Chairman, Euan Shand. “The casks of Port Ellen were ones that really stood out for me as something special and we’ve patiently waited for them to mature, bringing that rich, dark colour to the liquid. The cask has created an evocative whisky that embraces the peat from the kilns and the brine of the sea, alongside a succulent rich, fruity base. It’s one of the finest whiskies we’ve launched this year and that’s saying something.”
As worldwide demand for smoky and peated malts has surged, Port Ellen has become one of the sought after around the globe. Founded by Alexander Kerr Mackay in 1825 on Islay’s southern coast, Port Ellen was named after the nearby town and became an innovator in the whisky industry with great success exporting to the United States. Impacted by Prohibition, the distillery initially fell silent for 37 years from 1930. It was then resurrected in 1967 due to the demand for peated whisky when it expanded from two to four stills before Distillers Company Limited, who owned Port Ellen from 1925, closed its doors in 1983.
With a RRP of £5,700, the Port Ellen 40-year-old, will be available for purchase through several retailers including BlockBar and The Spirits Embassy.
