Port Ellen Distillery

The reputation of Port Ellen single malts as some of the best ever crafted on the renowned Isle of Islay would be enough to attract attention by itself. The fact that the distillery closed its doors in 1983 and only a dwindling supply remains has elevated their reputation yet further.

Port Ellen Distillery was founded in 1825 by Alexander Kerr Mackay at the town of the same name, the main port on Islay. But it only really began to come into its own under the ownership of local MP John Ramsay from the 1830s on. Ramsay seized the opportunity to become the first distillery to trade whisky to the North American market in 1948.

Port Ellen was sold to Distillers Company Limited in 1925, beginning a turbulent time in its history. The main distillery closed almost 30 years between then and the final shuttering in 1983. However, to this day it still supplies malt to other distilleries on Islay.

DCL first shut the distillery in 1930 during a period that was disastrous for the industry across Britain and reopened it in 1966-67. For the next two decades it continued to operate, producing much loved Islay malts. That lasted until it was mothballed in 1983, and permanently shut four years later.

The remaining stock from that period is controlled by Diageo, who have released a new bottling every year since 2001. Port Ellen malts have shared characteristics of peatiness and oak notes, but beyond that can vary widely between bottlings. Varieties aged in sherry casks are known for being sweet and leathery, while those finished in bourbon casks are known for having a more peppery side to them.

Enthusiasts who might believe that these are forever beyond their reach will no doubt be glad to hear that Diageo announced in May 2019 that they intend to reopen Port Ellen. The company has even committed to bringing in former employees of the distillery who moved elsewhere on Islay after ‘83 when it is scheduled to reopen in 2020.