Single Malt 16th Release 1978 Bottled 2016
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Ready to enjoy now; will keep indefinitely when stored upright in a cool, dark place.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Smoked salmon, blue cheese, dark chocolate
✨ wine.spec_sheet
An extraordinary relic from one of Scotland's most legendary 'ghost' distilleries, the Port Ellen 16th Release is a highly coveted 37-year-old single malt distilled in 1978 and bottled in 2016. Port Ellen, located on the south coast of Islay, was shuttered in 1983, making its remaining stocks finite and precious. This expression captures the quintessential historic character of the distillery: a complex tapestry of gentle peat smoke, maritime sea salt, old leather, and oily citrus. It represents a bygone era of traditional Islay distilling, where the peat was intensely medicinal yet balanced by decades of slow wood maturation in refill American oak hogsheads and European oak butts.
🍾 wine.about_producer
Established in 1825 by Alexander Mackay on the south coast of Islay, Scotland, Port Ellen is a legendary name in the world of spirits, revered for its deeply complex and peaty single malt Scotch whiskies. After acquisition by John Ramsay and later transitioning to Diageo, the distillery was closed in 1983, transforming its remaining maturing casks into some of the most highly coveted and collectible liquid gold in existence. Characterized by a signature profile of intense peat smoke, maritime brine, soft leather, and oily citrus, its rare vintage releases—such as the highly prized annual Diageo Special Releases—are celebrated globally by connoisseurs. In 2024, Diageo officially revived this iconic producer, restoring its historic spirit stills to continue its legacy of uncompromising Islay character.