Smell: A classic sherried Islay. Full of syrup toffee and leather mixed with bright fruity notes of blackberries and strawberries soaked in cream. A hint of zesty citrus offsets the fruity sweetness, and some dark, waxy comb honey adds depth. Some intense maritime notes of sea spray combined with kombu kelp. Mineral accents from pebbles along the coast emerge over time from behind the sherry fruits.
Taste: Very true to the scent. Dark syrup toffee and more fruit, this time more of the cooked variety than fresh. Thick and chewy texture with toasted pecans in the foreground. The leathery, maritime notes remain present with some warming spices such as cloves and caraway. The peat appears like a distant driftwood fire on a salt-soaked shore. A dark, smoky and fruity chutney, balanced by a refreshing hint of spearmint. Beautiful balance where all elements present are in good balance.
Whiskey Duncan Taylor Port Ellen 1983 40 YO - mood shot
Finish: Long and seemingly eternal. The notes of dark bitter chocolate from the sherry cask remain present until the end, together with toasted oak. The chewy toffee fruits remain, but are now slightly drier than in the mouth. The driftwood fire from the peat has now been reduced to a few smoldering embers. Once again the balance is perfect and all elements sing in harmony.
Port Ellen 40 yo 1983/2023 (52.4%, The Duncan Taylor, Rarest Collection, European oak sherry cask, cask #667, 209 bottles) Five stars
This one from one of the last casks ever to be produced at the now ‘old’ Port Ellen Distillery, filled on March 16, 1983, aged on Islay until 2010, then moved to Duncan Taylor’s premises in Huntly. Indeed, the 1983s have always been a little rare as the distillery was closed in May. I’ve often found them particularly excellent, as if Port Ellen had tried its very best before drawing the curtain. It’s been the same at Brora, by the way. Colour: deep dark amber (there even was a wee fly, seriously!)
Nose: oh sweet Vishnu. Would you mind calling the Anti-Maltoporn Brigade subito presto? Tarry balms, smoky ointments, fir liqueur, pistachios and bitter almonds, and this je-ne-sais-quoi that’s very Port Ellen. Exquisitely rather balsamic – and empyreumatic – nose. With water: oh, old dunnage, cellar, moist hessian, eucalyptus, old paint, coal tar, lamp oil, a drop of turpentine… Mouth (neat): what power! Long story short, this is some mandarine marmalade, beefed-up with pepper, tar liqueur, a little seawater, black olives, cough syrup and, hold on, a drop of mezcal. Some splendid black-tobacco-y oak is bringing a perfect backbone without ever really getting in the way. With water: water is not necessary, but with just a few drops, smoked fruit liqueurs and jams would appear, especially peaches and, after 40 years, pears. In general, we’d rather find pears in young whiskies, don’t you agree? Finish: medium, with some very balanced sherry, ashes and tobacco, old walnut wine and all those sorts of things. Old tar liqueur is always there. Smoke in the aftertaste, but it is not a peat monster (anymore?) Comments: so indeed, not a peat beast anymore, but on the other hand, it became wonderfully bituminous. Rather extraordinary.
SGP:465 – 95 points.
