Port Ellen operated for over 150 years, but it wasn't until its demise that its whisky grew to become some of the most iconic.
Port Ellen’s smokiness is quite different to the rest of its neighbours on Islay’s south coast, being both highly maritime in nature alongside a sharp lemon element, light tar and some oiliness in the texture. Because most of the bottlings have been matured in refill casks it is rare to find a Port Ellen with a huge amount of oak. While this accentuates the smokiness it also lends it a somewhat austere nature.
As the world’s love of smoky whiskies has increased so its stock has risen – not necessarily because of it having any greater qualities than its neighbours but simply because it is rare. It is fast becoming a whisky only investors can afford to buy.
Port Ellen was opened in 1824, later than its neighbours on Islay’s south coast. It was built by Alexander Mackay, on the site of a malt mill which had possibly been supplying the many illicit distillers on the Oa Peninsula. Mackay struggled and in 1836 the lease of the distillery was taken by the 21-year-old John Ramsay whose uncle Ebenezer was a distiller based in Clackmannanshire and related to the Steins.
Ramsay was a man of his time. As well as establishing the distillery, he became the business partner of Walter Frederick Campbell who owned Islay. Between them they started the bi-weekly steamer between the island and Glasgow which undoubtedly helped cement whisky-making as a major industry on the island. It also made Port Ellen, rather than Bowmore, the island’s main ferry terminal.
He also introduced ‘improved’ agricultural practises to Islay. One reason for the island not suffering from the worst of the Clearances is down to the open and benign attitude of its then laird to his tenants. In 1869, the sales of Port Ellen were handed to W.P. Lowrie, the blender and broker who among many other things loaned James Buchanan money (and supplied stock) for the young tyro blender. By this time Campbell’s Port Ellen had already started to be exported to the United States.
The distillery remained in the Ramsay family’s hands until 1920 when it was sold to the newly formed Port Ellen Distillery Co.. which had been formed by John Dewar and James Buchanan, who had by then bought Lowrie’s business. When these two firms became part of DCL in 1925, so ownership of Port Ellen passed into the hands of the industry giant. It closed in 1930 and remained silent – something which is often forgotten – until 1967.
In 1973, the old distillery buildings were dwarfed by the new drum maltings which were erected alongside, initially to supply malt for DCL’s three Islay plants, Caol Ila, Lagavulin, and Port Ellen.
The 1980s whisky loch hit Islay hard. These were the days when the received wisdom was that only a small number of intrepid drinkers would enjoy smoky single malt – indeed single malt wasn’t even being considered as an option by major distillers.
Blenders meanwhile only needed a small percentage of smoky malt in their whisky. The result was that distilleries either went onto short time working, or closed. With three distilleries on the island, DCL was more exposed than most and Port Ellen drew the short straw. In 1983 it closed forever. The maltings only stayed open thanks to a gentlemen’s agreement [the Concordat] between Islay’s distillers in which they all agreed to take a percentage of their malted barley from the plant.
Port Ellen’s fame therefore only came after the distillery doors had been firmly bolted. Stocks are dwindling… and prices rising.
However, in October 2017 Diageo revealed plans to reopen both Port Ellen and Brora distilleries, which also closed in 1983. Subject to planning permission, the two sites are expected to be operational once more by 2020.
The full list of releases
1st Release - 1979 22 Year Old, 2001 Release, 56.2% ABV / 70cl, 3526 / 6000
2nd Release - 1978 24 Year Old, 2002 Release, 59.35% ABV / 70cl, 4048 / 12000
3rd Release - 1979 24 Year Old, 2003 Release, 57.3% ABV / 70cl, 2381 / 9000
4th Release - 1978 25 Year Old, 2004 Release, 56.2% ABV / 70cl, 18 / 5100
5th Release - 1979 25 Year Old, 2005 Release, 57.4% ABV / 70cl, 339 / 5280
6th Release - 1978 27 Year Old, 2006 Release, 54.2% ABV / 70cl, 2903 / 4560
7th Release - 1979 28 Year Old, 2007 Release, 53.8% ABV / 70cl, 4099 / 5274
8th Release - 1978 29 Year Old, 2008 Release, 55.3% ABV / 70cl, 5705 / 6618
9th Release - 1979 30 Year Old, 2009 Release, 57.7% ABV / 70cl, 4507 / 5916
10th Release - 1978 31 Year Old, 2010 Release, 54.6% ABV / 70cl, 1410 / 3000
11th Release - 1979 32 Year Old, 2011 Release, 53.9% ABV / 70cl, 2654 / 2988
12th Release - 1979 32 Year Old, 2012 Release, 52.5% ABV / 70cl, 478 / 2964
13th Release - 1978 34 Year Old, 2013 Release, 55% ABV / 75cl, 370 / 2958
14th Release - 1978 35 Year Old, 2014 Release, 56.5% ABV / 70cl, 1744 / 2964
15th Release - 1983 32 Year Old, 2015 Release, 53.9% ABV / 70cl, 142 / 2964
16th Release - 1978 37 Year Old, 2016 Release, 55.2% ABV / 70cl, 1909 / 2940
17th Release - 1979 37 Year Old, 2017 Release, 51% ABV / 70cl, 139 / 2988
