How much Port Ellen?

by **Ian_Hamilton** » Fri Nov 15, 2002 11:35 pm

A great Dram!
I enjoyed a bottle at Easter.
I paid 70 pounds for it.
I thought it was reasonable for a bottle from a distillery that closed almost 20 yrs ago! I went there in the Summmer, it definately won't open again.
BUT...
...there seems to be an enoumous and inexhausable amount of the stuff, should we be paying sixty pounds plus plus for this?
I think no, I was naive, thinking it was probably some of the last supplies (I'm new) so what do you think?
Please dont leave the usual replies like...
...well if you think its worth it then its okay!
I want to know if you think we are being taken for a ride or its fair play.
Also there is an OB out now at 102pounds
Cheers
Ian

by **Jeroen Kloppenburg** » Sat Nov 16, 2002 10:51 am

For me Port Ellen is Ardbeg's and Laphroaig's strong points combined into 1 single malt, it's a shame it is going..

Currently i'm enjoying a 21 year old OMC bottling, which gives me lots of pleasure drinking it.

Got the bottle at 110EURO, not really cheap either.. Is it worth it? I assume it will be. At this price its sure not a every day malt for me. But for those special occasions I open it up, or let my SM friends join in the fun.

by **Gate** » Mon Nov 18, 2002 12:41 pm

From a drinking perspective, I think the rare malts thing is starting to get a bit silly. Port Ellen is fantastic stuff, but the prices of some bottlings are ridiculous. Brora is getting the same way. It's collectibility that's bumping up the price, not quality (IMHO), and I have a (poorly-defined) cut-off point where I just think the inflation has gone too far for me and I am out of the market for that malt. I think I've reached that point with both Port Ellen and Brora (fortunately I have couple of bottles of each

). It's a shame, though. There's a good article in the Scotch Whisky review (same edition mentioned in a different thread) counselling care when buying "collectible" bottlings.