Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky announces the latest release from its ‘Rarest Collection,’ a Port Ellen 40-year-old single malt whisky from March 16, 1983.
This limited release comes from cask number 667, one of the last batches of Port Ellen production, barreled weeks before the distillery closed its doors in May of the same year.
Port Ellen has become one of the rarest, most iconic and sought after whiskies around the globe. Founded by Alexander Kerr Mackay in 1825 on Islay’s southern coast, it was named after the nearby town and became an innovator in the whisky industry with success exporting to the United States. Impacted by Prohibition, the distillery initially fell silent in 1930 for 37 years. It was then resurrected in 1967 due to the demand for peated whisky when it expanded from two to four stills. However, Distillers Company Limited, who owned Port Ellen from 1925, closed its doors in 1983.
Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky delved into its archives to release this first fill sherry cask 40-year-old single malt. At 104.8 proof the liquid was matured in a European Oak ex-sherry butt, with the cask initially stored on Islay, until it was laid down to finish maturing in the vaults at Duncan Taylor’s HQ in Aberdeenshire in 2010. Each hand-finished decanter is sequentially numbered with a signed certificate of authenticity. The Scottish firm last released a Port Ellen back in 2013.
“When I bought the company from Abe Rosenberg’s family back in 2001, the inventory was incredible with some amazing rare and old whiskies.” commented Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Chairman Euan Shand. “The casks of Port Ellen were ones that really stood out for me as something special and we’ve patiently waited for them to mature, bringing that rich, dark color to the liquid. The cask created an evocative whisky that embraces the peat from the kilns and the brine of the sea, alongside a succulent rich fruity base. It’s one of the finest whiskies we’ve launched this year.”
Available globally, this limited release of 209 bottles of Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky’s Rarest Collection is available for $7,300.
