56.5% ABV. 14th Edition. Distilled in 1978, bottled in 2014. 2964 bottles
For the fourth and final episode in this series, I figured ‘why not go out with a bang?!’ What ‘s more unicorn than a whisky from a closed or long gone distillery? An Islay distillery, at that! Indeed, few whiskies scream ‘Unicorn’ louder than those that read ‘Port Ellen’ on their label. When it comes to mythical, hard to find, rare,… whisky, Port Ellen is arguably the holy grail of many enthusiasts, and in terms of sought after whiskies from closed distilleries it is probably second to none, except possibly Brora. So stupendous and appealing to the imagination, you’d be forgiven to think bottles of this stuff actually do come with a set of angelic wings and a weird horn somewhere near the cork. More than that: the likes of these are more the topic of scripture and conversation than actual consumption it seems. So much so, we sometimes tend to forget that this is actually something you can drink and enjoy as well, as, at the end of the day, we are still talking about a fermented and distilled wash from a mixture of grain and water that got dumped and left behind in a wooden container.
As is often the case with mothballed, closed or vanished distilleries, Port Ellen too is one of those names where you tend to hum to Joni Mitchel’s Big Yellow Taxi (‘Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you got 'til it's gone’…) as few seemed to care more than a rat’s arse about Port Ellen’s faith when it got dismantled and converted into floor maltings in the 1980’ies. Their heavily peated character was clearly out of fashion when the big whisky loch of the late seventies over flooded, and as then owners DCL also had Caol Ila and Lagavulin to cater to their needs in the peated malt department, Port Ellen’s faith was sealed, done and dusted, only to gain mythical status years later. The benefit here being that in those years spent in limbo, casks filled with Port Ellen spirit were left to mature undisturbed in Diageo’s warehouses, only to see the lights of day often decades later. Silver linings…
Say what you will about Diageo, but they now a good business opportunity when they see one. At the turn of the 21st century, single malt seemed to be having the wind in its sails once more, and with more and more enthusiasts out there willing to discover and tap into what whisky has to offer, Port Ellen rapidly became a cult whisky. And Diageo are more than willing to rise to the occasion to provide punters with special and limited series of this now highly sought after Islay malt, with bottles retailing for thousands of pounds. This particular one for example, is yours for €2800 and upwards, depending on where you shop. The fact that Diageo are now resurrecting their two most legendary distilleries, Brora and Port Ellen, may well be seen as sign of the times we live in. From a marketing point of view, it’s probably a perfect timing, as the prospect of whisky from these iconic distilleries becoming available to the public once more, couldn’t have come at a better time. Part of me, however, the dark, cynical bit inside, is sceptical as well. Will what is to come ever be able to stand its ground to what once was? And furthermore: how will Diageo brand these phoenixes? One look at the prices Diageo now charges for guided tours at the new Brora, and something tells me this will not be aimed at you and me.
But let’s not speculate too much about what might be, as I have this lovely sample of whisky history here which deserves my full attention!
Nose
An oily sensation, mixed with citrus notes and green apples, nutmeg, roasted sweet nuts, vanilla and dark honey. Apricot, blackcurrant countered- or rather completed- by a soft salinity. Throughout all of the above lingers a maritime note and a subtle ‘dirty’ touch, like wet autumn, decaying wood and overripe fruits- what I suspect is the remainder of what once was a fierce peat. Subtle, dignified and classy.
Palate
Again it starts off with a soft oily arrival – even before the ABV (a quite respectful 56.6 %, even more so considering the age) makes a mark. Mouth coating and a full, viscous body. Maritime and brine notes now more at the forefront of things. Wood going into roasted cereal and nuts, hints of pepper and sweeter, red apples this time. Again, there’s an earthy dryness – echoes from the peat (?).
Finish
Long, warm and sweet at 1st hand, but it becomes increasingly dry and briny.
Final thoughts
Is this crazy money for a bottle of 35 year old whisky? I tend to say yes, even taking into consideration the age, its origin (Islay’s ‘cool factor’ can only be matched at the moment with that of Springbank) and the fact that this whisky is something like ‘a blast from the past’, as no matter what will happen in the future, 21st century Port Ellen will and can never be the same as 1970’ies Port Ellen. That said: this has depth, character, complexity and a wide array of flavours that are not to be snubbed at. The balance between the fruit and the brine notes are if not sublime, than wonderful to say the least. If the Black Art (which I started this series with) is a prime example of cask influence, this might well be on the opposite side of the spectrum. I suspect there went quite some refill bourbon casks into this batch and the end result is, quite simply, a thing of beauty.
So, is there any general conclusion to be drawn here after trying 4 unicorn whiskies? Are they indeed worth the chase, or is the hunt still better than the catch? Personal opinion (as if all of the above isn’t a personal opinion, but hear me out): intrinsically, I don’t think any whisky is worth more than €500 or so. When it’s purely a matter of character, quality and flavour, added to maturation- and other costs like angel’s share etcetera, I have a strong suspicion that’s about as high as the meter goes. Anything above that is, I feel, down to exclusivity, marketing and other abstract things like collectability, desirability, investment opportunity or, heaven forbid, bragging rights. As clearly all of these factors are also to be added into the equation, a price tag in the area of 3K is definitely steep, but also not completely crazy, all things considered. It is silly money to spend on something like a bottle of whisky, let’s just be clear on that, but I understand why people are willing to splurge on these (and I bow my head in deep gratitude to the fellow barfly who generously sent me this sample). For most of us, this will likely be a once in a lifetime sort of folly, something special to celebrate a special occasion. We only live once, so if you got the money to burn, by all means indulge, why don’t you?! Just make sure to hide the receipt from your better half…
Unicorn or not, super jealous you got to try this!