Port Ellen 13th Annual Release 1978 34 Years Old (2013)

Port Ellen

DESCRIPTION

The eagerly-anticipated 13th release from cult closed distillery Port Ellen. Always the most sought-after of Diageo's Annual Special Releases, this usually sells out worldwide within 24 hours and we expect this year to be no different.

TASTING NOTES (by Whiskyfun.com)

Colour: full gold. Nose: we aren't far from the 1977, but this one's more polished, a notch rounder, a tad gentler despite the higher strength. Surprisingly gentle, in fact, even a little simple, but that lasts only for one minute, and then it takes off like an albatross, slowly and surely. Brine, lemon juice, engine oil, liquid tar, wet wool, paraffin, orange wine, a drop of balsamic vinegar, moss and mushrooms, maybe fresh parsley. After five minutes, there are more and more notes of mead and it's even a little acetic, in a good way. No straight vinegar! Also cold smoke (cigar). With water: ha! Used fireworks, humus, burnt wood (pine, beech) and green tobacco. The smoke from Kretek cigarettes (tobacco and cloves, that's what you can smell in just any Indonesian street). This one makes you travel. Mouth (neat): oh but it's not an old, quiet one! Starts 'nervous', as lemony as a youngster, even a notch fizzy, with peppers and bitter herbs just below the surface. Some unexpected notes of cider and apple peel, lemon zests, playful green peppercorns, citrons... Did they throw a small cask of Rosebank into the vatting? With water: it's the Ziegfeld Follies in a swimming pool, this time water works magnificently. Now, what's interesting is that it's rather brown sugar and even sweet barley that come out, which makes it unexpectedly rounder and gentler. Finish: long, kind of smooth, with some sort of smoked cider as well as smoked and salted fish. Comments: maybe not as 'immediate and unquestionable' as earlier releases, and certainly not as 'bigly tarry' as middle-aged PEs such as the Rare Malts and such, but it's another magnificent old PE for sure. It's just got a little less Port-Ellenness, if I may. SGP:356 - 93 points.

    PRODUCT SUMMARY

    Distillery Port Ellen
    Classification Single Malt Whisky
    # Released bottle 2958
    Vintage 1978
    Age 34
    Bottler Official Bottling
    Bottling Date 2013
    ABV/ Volume 55.0%/ 70cl
    Rating/SGP 93/356
    Cask Number -

     



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