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Port Ellen
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Port Ellen is an iconic Islay distillery within the Diageo portfolio that a strong cult following after it was closed in 1983. It was originally opened in 1825 by Alexander Mackay before being acquired by Distillers Company one hundred years later. They mothballed it between 1930 and 1967, after which it was run by Low Robertson & Co and exclusively produced whisky for the provision of blends. By 1983 Distillers Company was facing an oversupply of peated whisky for blending and perceived a lack of interest in it as a single malt, deciding to close it down.
In the years that followed, Port Ellen was released extensively by independent bottlers and became revered for its profile and quality. Such was the desire among collectors and connoisseurs for its name that Diageo announced its plans to reopen the site, and distilling resumed there in 2024.
During its first two production eras, no Port Ellen single malt brand was made available while the distillery was in operation. In fact, only one official bottling of Port Ellen was produced prior to 1983 in the shape of a hugely rare and equally sought-after 12-year-old bottled to commemorate the visit of the Queen to the distillery in 1980. The first official bottlings after its closure came in 1998 when United Distillers produced an anniversary release for the still operational Port Ellen maltings and an entry in its Rare Malts Selection range.
A second Rare Malts Selection bottling followed in 2000 before the first ever Port Ellen single malt brand was introduced by Diageo later that year. It appeared every year in the shape of one of the company annual Special Releases until 2017, followed by less frequent limited editions since, via collections such as the Casks of Distinction and Prima & Ultima.
Current owner
Port Ellen Distillery
Kiln Square
Port Ellen
Isle of Islay
PA42 7AF
Active brands
Single malt