The end goal of my birthday weekend was to finally try an official bottling of Port Ellen. A bucket list item is crossed off... for $30! The bottle: 7th release distilled in 1979 and bottled in 2007 at cask strength of 53.8%. This was at Jack Rose. I asked for a 1 oz pour, but the bottle had just about a half oz left. The bartender ended up charging me less than a third of the price. Initial nose: lemon scented embalming fluid, shoe polish. Cadaver lab back in med school. Except this time I’m looking forward to this shit, but it’s far from being ready to drink. It’s a little nervous. As I’m I. Subsequent noses: much less chemically. A rich and buttery smoke. Lemons, honeycombs, marigolds, and elderflowers, Chinese oolong. Tasting neat: a tobacco smokiness balanced with medicinal smoke. Deep fried minnows. Eucalyptus, parsley, mint. Lemons and grapefruits. Fennel, vanilla, and slight chili. Very oily, but not nearly as viscous as the Brora I had yesterday. Finish: I still have hints of this 8 hours later. How!?! First of all, no morning breath. A grassy smoke is the dominant theme. Smoked cactus, overbrewed Oolong, burning cooking oil. I give the edge to the 1978/2014 Brora after nose and palate, but this finish wins it for PE. I give the finish 102 / 100. Really. For reviewers who are afraid to give perfect scores because “what if I taste something even better?” Easy, you just give it better than 100%. No one will arrest you. Two drops of water: more somber. The green notes are relegated to some mint at the end. More black tea, more spicy, more earthy. Petrol. Clay. The biggest drawback is now I have to return to reality, after 3 sips of God’s dram. Will those 12 year old Lagavulins ever bring as much joy again? Will those old independent Caol Ilas I keep getting because they approximate independent Port Ellens even matter anymore? Will independent Port Ellen’s now feel like slumming it? Anyways, here’s the top 10 drams from my epic weekend: 1. Port Ellen 28y OB 1979/2007 53.2% - 98/100 2. Brora 35y OB 1978/2014 48.6% - 97.5 3. Port Ellen 23y DL OMC 1983/2006 50% - 95 4. Talisker 25y OB 45.8% - 95 5. Johnnie Walker Blue Brora & Rare NAS 46% - 94.5 6. Old Pulteney 21y OB 46% - 94 7. Redbreast 21y OB 46% - 94 8. Talisker 30y OB 45.8% - 92 9. Caol Ila 29y CA SB 1984/2013 55.5% - 90 10. Strathisla 33y HB FC 1967/2000 46.3% - 87