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11th October 2010 |
 Port Ellen 31 Year Old
The Port Ellen distillery on Islay
closed in 1983, so its stocks are
irreplaceable, and fading out as the
years go by.
In 2009, a 29 year old Port Ellen won
the supreme Scotch whisky award at the
San Francisco World Spirits Competition,
being awarded a Double Gold Medal and
named Best Single Malt Scotch.
This year’s example - a venerable,
dignified Port Ellen of great complexity
and depth, according to those who have
tasted it - is 31 years old, and comes
in an edition of fewer than 3,000
individually numbered bottles. The many
devotees of this highly prized single
malt generally ensure that stocks sell
out within weeks, so don't hang around
if you want to taste this one.
Aged in Refill American & European Oak
casks for 31 years then bottled at its
natural cask strength of 54.6% ABV, it
is a limited edition of 3000
individually numbered bottles and has a
RRP of £250.
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Port Ellen 31 Year Old Tasting Notes
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Appearance:
Amber. Good beading for its age.
Nose:
Pleasingly fresh, with a mild prickle
that dances round the nose, suggesting a
youthful sparkle. Immediate wood smoke
and majestic medicinal notes, then pine
resin and faded pot-pourri (spice
drawer). A salty breeze. Beneath this, a
layer of comforting beeswax and honeyed
fruit balanced by a buttery saltiness.
Water liberates a wisp of smoky candle,
classic antiseptic notes and cereals,
yet the nose remains elusive and
delicate.
Body:
Full, viscous.
Taste:
Gentle. Drinks well straight: sweetish
and warming. Softly cooling at first,
though, with a glorious interplay of
spicy, syrupy ginger sweetness and a
herbal bitterness. Soon, classic
cleansing, medicinal flavours assert
themselves, to stay. With water there’s
a pleasing mouthfeel, the sweetish start
balanced by more light herbal notes
(tarragon). A taste from a bygone era.
Finish:
Magnificent. Long and splendidly
antiseptic, with sweet pine resins plus
herbal and savoury notes (truffle). With
water, soft dried fruit and vanilla
notes flirt with lingering, scented
coal-smoke, drifting over all.
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Other 2010 Diageo Special Releases
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Select a whisky for more info and
tasting notes.
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Diageo Special Releases Availability
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On sale in most markets in Europe, but
not all markets take all 9 products.
Also available in selected global duty
free outlets.
In the US market, the following will be
available: Lagavulin 12 year old, Caol
Ila 12 year old, Talisker 30 year old,
Glenkinchie 20 year old, Cragganmore 21
year old, Glen Spey 21 year old, and
Auchroisk 20 year old.
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Where To Buy The Diageo Special
Releases
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Select a country for a list
of specialist Whisky shops who delivers
to you:
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Whisky Focus
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