Port Ellen Pricing

[TreacleSponge]

So after much errr-ing and ooo-ing, and a bit of ahhh-ing, I finally bought me a bottle of Port Ellen. Whoop! And then I got to wondering if Port Ellen is only expensive now there’s a limited amount to sell, or if it was pricey when the distillery was open? I mean say in the 70’s or early 80’s, when I was a very small child , could you buy a 12yo bottle of Port Ellen for the equivalent of (eg.) £30 today, or did it stand out at the time as a premium price?

[DramMeister]

Sorry off topic
But you have 50 whiskies behind the bar?
Anything exciting?

Just found one of your earlier posts where you listed your malts, have you added to this?

[Wave]

I didn't get to try my 1st Port Ellen till the early 90's (13yr old Signatory) and the price then was already on the higher side. As far as the pricing now on Port Ellens it's really not all that bad compared some bottlings from distilleries that are still open like Ardbeg & Springbank. There's still deals around for PE's, this year I bought a Port Ellen 26yr old Old Malt Cask (70cl) at the Glasgow Airport for £45.45!



Cheers!

[TreacleSponge]

As far as the pricing now on Port Ellens it's really not all that bad compared some bottlings from distilleries that are still open like Ardbeg & Springbank. There's still deals around for PE's

Yep, I found the price ranges enormously. But I’d had my first Port Ellen in a pub and my memory of that drink is sitting on a barstool thinking “look at me, I’m drinking Port Ellen”. And it wasn't all that interesting. I’m not saying it was bad. Just not a very special drink, and not worth what I paid.

So when I recently decided I wanted a Port Ellen, I poked around a lot of reviews and found that the flavour can vary a lot depending on the bottling (I know, in hindsight, a post here might have been useful!). I was undecided between a 4th release and a Gordon & MacPhail, both of which are £100+ … and I plumped for G & M’s 1982 because of this Jim Murray quote: “If anyone asks me to describe Port Ellen, I would hold up this bottle and say ‘it tastes exactly like this’”

Yum

[Deactivated Member]

Age, supposed rarity (there seems to be plenty around!), and most of all, cachet, figure in the price. Cachet is just us yakking about it. And don't forget, you couldn't ever buy a 20+yo PE when the distillery was active, because it was only open for 16 years.

The annual releases indicate to me that there is still quite a lot of PE in the warehouse. Just how much, no one knows, and I suspect Diageo likes it that way. They parcel it out for maximum profit. And why shouldn't they? It is a business, after all. I wonder if we will some day be pondering 40yo 20th release, at £500 a bottle.

[Deactivated Member]

I wonder if we will some day be pondering 40yo 20th release, at £500 a bottle.

A bargain compared to certain other Islay 40yos I could mention...

[TreacleSponge]

Hi DramMeister

I found the post you're referring to:

At the moment we stock: Aberlour 10 (to be replaced), Aberfeldy 12, An Cnoc 12, Auchentoshan Select (to be replaced), Auchentoshan 12, Balvenie 12, Bladnoch 13, Bowmore Legend (to be replaced), Bruichladdich 10 (to be replaced by Infinity), Bruichladdich 3D, Bunnahabhain 12, Caol Ila 12, Cragganmore (probably to be replaced), Dalwhinnie 15, Edradour 10, Edradour Bordeaux finish CS, Glenfarclas 12, Glengoyne 17, Glenlivet 12 (to be replaced), Glenlivet 18, Glen Scotia 14, Highland Park 12, Jura 10 (to be replaced, poss by Jura Superstition), Knockando 12, Lagavulin 16, Laphroaig 10, Macallen 10, Mortlach 16, Glenmorangie 10, Oban 14, Old Pulteney, Springbank 10, Talisker 10, Tobermory 10

Following the suggestions made here and by others, we’ve now added:
Aberlour Abunadh
Ardbeg 10
Bruichladdich Infinity
Bruichladdich 20yo Flirtation
Clynelish 14
Dalmore 12
Glenfiddich 15 Solera Reserve
Edradour Cask Strength Borolo finish (mmm.. just how lovely is this?!!)
Edradour Signatory unchillfiltered
Jura Superstition
Ledaig (whoops)
Longmorn 25
Port Ellen 1982 (obviously!)
Rosebank 15
Scapa 14
Strathisla 12
…might be some others, not counted them all up.

I’d originally said we’d replace some of our bottles with others, but we changed our mind about that, so they’re still there!

Now get back on topic

[corbuso]

When checking about the evolution of prices, it is difficult to compare the price increase, since there has never been any official PE releases before the Rare Malt selection.
When the product is not widely available, you can't compare the prices as you would do with e.g., Glenfiddich

[TreacleSponge]

Age, supposed rarity (there seems to be plenty around!), and most of all, cachet, figure in the price.

Ooh, I learnt a new word So if the cachet was great at the time, its possible PE was always a relatively dear drink, compared to other 12yo malts at that time? And I suppose if a distillery thinks “blimey we’ve made a good un ‘ere”, they start selling it at a higher price regardless of age, because they’re anticipating the cachet to be good.

And I agree – it’s fine for PE to be dear cos it’s rare (perceived or actual). It's all part of the experience. And I also think it's right that a great-tasting malt should be dearer than a poor bottling, even if age is the same... I didn't even know PE was a peated malt after that first bottling I'd tasted, cos the flavours were so insipid. I'd rather pay up and be (fairly) sure that I'm gonna get something that makes me happy

[Aidan]

Cachet drives a large portion of the scotch industry.

Another man cried while tasting a whisky recently - a special Bruichladdich release. Were there onions in the mash bill?

Not only did he cry, but he was tall. This must be a super whisky.

[TreacleSponge]

there has never been any official PE releases before the Rare Malt selection.

So, apologies for my stupidity, but why would this be?

[Deactivated Member]

a special Bruichladdich release

is there any other kind?

[Aidan]

a special Bruichladdich release

is there any other kind?

That's true. I wonder if a standard distillery bottling would be collectable, given their rarety?

[Lawrence]

there has never been any official PE releases before the Rare Malt selection.

So, apologies for my stupidity, but why would this be?

Because all of it's make was going to blending. Although, technically the first recorded OB of PE was under the name of James Murray & Sons, Glasgow in 1882 closley followed by a John Ramsay bottling in 1891.

There was also a special release of PE in 1998 to celbrate the 25th anniversary of the maltings followed by the two Rare Malts followed by the Annual Releases. There have been dozens and dozens of independant bottlings.

[Wave]

a special Bruichladdich release

is there any other kind?

That's true. I wonder if a standard distillery bottling would be collectable, given their rarety?

Oh sure! For example, I use to buy the 12yr old Lagavulin 43% alc/vol back in the mid/late-80's for around $35, those same bottles now are fetching for over £400.


Cheers!