Slainte-Mhath
Port Ellen 32 Year 1979 (2012 Special Release)
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed
July 2, 2023 (edited July 30, 2023)
Few whisky aficionados seem to remember why Port Ellen was closed in the first place: no one wanted their malts, that's the irony. The nose opens a door to the past, as whiffs of camphor, motor oil and sooty steam engines collide with lemon drops, tobacco leaves and oysters. Sweet and herbal, the palate awakens with subtle peat smoke, orange zest and mineral notes. Wood sap, licorice and hints of kiwi whisper their farewell as the earthy finish subsides. It reinforces what Diageo's special releases used to be, but that's the way the cookie crumbles.
RATING: 4.5/5.0 stars ≙ 92 pts → SUPERB
4000.0
EUR
per
Bottle
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@PBMichiganWolverine After having tasted both official and independent bottlings of Brora and Port Ellen, I will join your camp: Brora is the better pick.
@cascode I bought 3 bottles of the 2022 edition, and yes, I noticed that the second batch seems to be much better than the first. Bunnahabhain is my wife's favorite distillery (second only to Tobermory), so I didn't have much of a choice anyway 😉
@Slainte-Mhath The first edition of the Bunnahabhain 12 CS in 2021 received a lot of praise but when I tried it at a tasting event I didn’t think it lived up to the hype and I rated it 84/100 here. The 2022 release has the same overall character but everything about it suggests better casks and I'm thinking it's worth 87-88, but I need more time with it before reviewing. I ordered a second bottle as soon as I tasted it. That said, if you like the regular 12 year old then you won’t be disappointed with either expression.
@Ctrexman Bunnahabhain 12yo CS was recommended by so many as 'a stasher' that I bought 3 bottles without having tasted it. I hope it's a good one!
@cascode Thanks, mate!
Awesome S-M............enjoy your time off. I can never experience this long lost malt but Im eager to read your take on Bunna12CS as the standard 12 is one of my personel favs
Congratulations on the milestone, and it's a great choice to mark the occasion. Cheers!
I wish everyone a great summer, I'll be off for the rest of July. My travel companions this year, a bottle of Bunnahabhain 12yo Cask Strength and Chita Single Grain. I will be back reviewing these two whiskies in August. Slàinte!
Additional comment: Only 4.5 stars you might wonder? Yes, it is a great malt, but I've had better. Take Diageo's 2014 and 2018 releases of Caol Ila 30yo and 35 yo, or the Brora 10th release I reviewed last year. If you really want to experience what Port Ellen tastes like, get yourself a nice independent bottling of a 1982/83 Caol Ila for less than a quarter of the price this bottle costs. After tasting this sample, I decided that I'll not open my bottle of Port Ellen 12th release, 4000 € is simply not worth it. Understand the hype, smile, and move on.
Additional comment: After almost 8 years into my whisky journey, I am celebrating my 500th review (277 quick hit reviews were not posted on Distiller, mainly IBs that I didn't bother to add to the database). My complete list of reviews is available here: https://www.whiskybase.com/profile/slintemhath/lists/notes