Port Ellen recommendations

by **Scotchio** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 10:03 pm

I have a bottle of Port Ellen provenance 1982 sherry which I love ,very much like Bowmore dark of 6 years ago but I doubt it's particularly representative of the distillery given the impact of the sherry. Of the currently available bottlings can anyone recommend any that represent excellent PEs or are particularly good value for the pricefor something so rare there seems to be a hell of a lot of it about.

by **karlejnar** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 10:14 pm

Hi and welcome to the forum

I can recommend the "Annual Release" from the owners. I have had the 1st and 2nd, the 1st is far the best of them. The 3rd should be really good too, but i haven't had that one.

Also the Rare Malts bottlings are good, but they (as the 1st AR) can be hard to find these days.

The Signatory bottlings of 1979 Port Ellen are very nice too.

Port Ellen was at it's prime at up to 19 years old, but it is getting harder to find the young one's

by **Deactivated Member** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 10:18 pm

I love all the Port Ellens I've had, but the phrases "Port Ellen" and "good value" are not often found in the same sentence. Rare Malts and Scott's Selection have been good. Gordon & MacPhail had a half-bottle under the Cask label that might be more affordable, although probably not the best money-for-millilitre value, but I haven't opened mine yet.

If the one you had really was comparable to any Bowmore, it was an odd duck indeed. But I suspect that's down to our differing tastes--I've yet to have a PE I didn't like, or a Bowmore I did.

by **Scotchio** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 10:26 pm

Its the 1st PE I've opened,provenance 81 ,18 years old. Iguess I compared it to the Bowmore dark because the balance of peat and sherry sweetness was similar . The PE smells gorgeous and has a lovely chewiness. The comparison may be clumsy as I have not had any other sherried Islay malts and I usually avoid heavily sherried whiskies but this PE is ace.

by **Admiral** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 3:17 am

I adored both of the Old Malt Cask 21yo PE's (1982 and 1983), although they were both sherried. (Maybe that's why I really liked them!!) However, at $180, the value is significantly better than the +$300 that the OB's demand.

Cheers,
Admiral

by **kallaskander** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 8:28 am

Hi there,

Douglas Laing The Old Malt Cask had some very fine Port Ellens. There is one of 18 years, distilled in 1981, which is fine and at a reasonable price. Murray McDavid used to have wonderful Port Ellens at a fair price, but not lately.

Greetings
kallaskander

by **lucabeer** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 9:38 am

MrTattieHeid wrote:I've yet to have a PE I didn't like, or a Bowmore I did.

Look around (if you can find it!) for a Bowmore 1974 (a 23 or 25 year old, if I remember correctly) by Signatory. It's in the flat dumpy bottles, not in the tall ones. It's bottled at 49% and it's great: completely different from any OB Bowmore I have tried so far. I wouldn't be surprised if you enjoyed this one a lot: I surely do, while the OBs don't excite me. It seems very little sherried, maybe COMPLETELY unsherried!

by **Deactivated Member** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 3:48 pm

Luc, you might well be right, but given my general dislike of Bowmores and the probable price of the bottle you mention, it's highly unlikely I'll ever find out.

by **BruceCrichton** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 7:23 pm

Scotchio, I've never had Provenance PE but I have had a 1981 OMC Port Ellen and my mate is addicted to it.

He also tried a 1978 OMC bottling at the whisky fringe, in Edinburgh. It retails at £85.

I think any Douglas Laing Port Ellen is probably a banker's bet.

by **Admiral** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 8:41 pm

Agreed!

by **The Dazzler** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 10:38 pm

Good Port Ellens currently available in UK

1978 26yo Port Ellen OMC
21yo Port Ellen Provenance (sherry)
TWS Port Ellen 24yo Cask Strength
Port Ellen OB 3rd release

Not tried 4th or 5th release OB`s

Slainte

by **Frodo** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 8:11 am

Tried the 3rd release - my favourite whisky yet! Expensive but not a bad value IMO (keeping in mind what styles I like).

by **hpulley** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 12:48 pm

Dazzler, how would you compare the '78 OMC with the 3rd release? I really enjoyed the 3rd release but haven't tried the OMC yet.

Harry

by **The Dazzler** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 7:04 pm

Hpulley,

I would opt for the 3rd release over the 26yo OMC. The OMC bottle could be mistaken if tasted blind for a Talisker, lots of dry peppery spice on the palate and on the nose it is oily with a sweet and almost floral boquet. 3rd release shows more of an islay character though the 26yo OMC is deffinately worth a visit.

Slainte

by **hpulley** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 7:18 pm

I've already enjoyed a bottle of the 3rd release and should definitely get 1 or 2 more. I haven't tried the 4th release yet, even though it is here, because it is incredibly almost double the cost of the 3rd release! At this rate I don't want to know the price of the 5th release...

Thanks,
Harry

by **The Dazzler** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 7:29 pm

In the UK the Port Ellen annual releases have been roughly the same price each year!!

Slainte

by **hpulley** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 7:32 pm

I know... I'm not sure who upped the price, Diageo or the LCBO. I'm told the tax rate on cask strength whiskies hasn't changed and I believe that as 12yo CS Glengoyne is $90, the same price as the 43% 17yo.

Lagavulin 12yo CS is expensive compared to last year too. It is $121 this year but was $75 last year. I haven't bought any this year as I prefer Uigeadail for that price (also overpriced here at $122, though Ardbeg TEN at $75 is also quite expensive using just the exchange rate).

Harry

by **Tom** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 11:51 am

Actually The Provenance is the best Port Ellen bargain I came across. Price/quality like it is the best, it is also one of the cheapest bottlings I know of.

Other PE bottlings I really enjoyed, yet are way more expensive are:
-Port Ellen Signatory Cask Strength Selection 1979 24Y
-Port Ellen Blackadder Raw Cask 1982 21Y
-Port Ellen Rare Malts 1978 22Y
-Port Ellen Scotch Single Malt Circle 1982 20Y
-Port Ellen OMC 1982 & 1983 both 21Y, especially the '82

Did not sample any of the annual releases though.

by **Scotchio** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 2:34 pm

Thanks Tom,
I can find 3 1982 21yr olds: fortnam and mason sherry 1282, cask482, and cask 484. There are also 4 prov bottles available,1982 at 20 21 and 23 years and 1983 at 22 years. Are you able to specify which of these you were recommending
thanks
Scotchio

by **Tom** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 2:54 pm

The provenance I speak of is 1982 21Y Sherry matured.

The other '82's I refered to is OMC cask 414 Sherry 21Y, the Scotch Single Malt Circle at 20Y 61.2% and Blackadder Raw Cask 21y Oloroso sherry. The last two will probably be impossible to find now.

The '83 OMC was 21Y old and sherry matured.

I noticed that you payed attention to the vintage year 1982 to base your purchase on. When PE is concerned dont forget that any bottling can varie drastically from another since they used different peating levels all the time.
Having said this, my recommendation would be the abovementioned Provenance.

by **Scotchio** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 3:55 pm

Thanks Tom , most enlightening