The iconic Islay malt whisky is back in production after more than four decades and will be joined by some experimental offshoots
Reviving Port Ellen, a “Ghost” Scotch Distillery
The iconic Islay malt whisky is back in production after more than four decades and will be joined by some experimental offshoots
For fans of Scotch whisky, the name Port Ellen has long held a mythical allure. The distillery on the island of Islay closed in 1983 but its reputation as one of the finest expressions of a peated single malt endured. Now, for the first time in 40 years, Port Ellen is distilling again, thanks to drinks giant Diageo’s investment in a cutting-edge production facility. During a recent visit ahead of the reopening, COOL HUNTING learned how this so-called “ghost” distillery was brought back to life and is now drawing on its storied past in order to create both familiar and surprising whiskies for future generations to enjoy.
Through the full-height windows of the Bay Room in the distillery’s new visitor center, you can watch boats carrying tons of barley arrive into the harbor from which Port Ellen takes its name. The barley is trucked to the adjacent maltings to be steeped in water and heated over smoldering peat. It’s the first stage of a process that Port Ellen’s master distiller, Alexander McDonald, says will enable his team to recreate Port Ellen’s distinctive smoky character.
“We’ve faithfully replicated the original stills so we are able to produce a ‘phoenix’ whisky with the flavors of Port Ellen that people know and love,” he explains, adding that the new spirit will be reminiscent of single malt whiskies released when the distillery was at the height of its powers between 1967 and 1983.
Port Ellen was established as a malt mill in 1825 and then developed as a distillery under John Ramsay, an early innovator in the whisky industry. It closed in 1930 and was rebuilt in 1966-67, with the majority of its output going into blended Scotch whisky. Its name is synonymous with innovation, having been the first distillery to export to the US and thought to be the location of an early test of the now-ubiquitous spirit safe found in every Scottish distillery.
Building upon this legacy, a second area within the distillery is dedicated to producing experimental expressions that will expand on Port Ellen’s characteristic flavors. This space houses the world’s first ten-part spirit safe, which allows McDonald and his team to segment different sections of the spirit run to isolate distinct flavors during this crucial part of the process. The distillers will also be able to utilize a pair of experimental stills to explore their impact on the liquid.
The visitor center and the distillery are connected by a bridging element with a sophisticated laboratory on the upper floor and a space below called the Pagoda that is dedicated to creative collaboration and experimentation. In this room it is possible to look up at the underside of the classic pagoda-style roofs that are the only remnant of the original distillery. Here we meet Aimée Morrison, Port Ellen’s master blender, who is charged with exploring the “Atlas of Smoke” which is at the heart of the distillery’s mission to investigate the many different dimensions of this mysterious flavor.
Morrison leads us in a tasting of the Port Ellen Gemini set, comprising twin bottles of 44-year-old whisky, one of which underwent a final maturation in a remnant cask saved by a group of distillers when Port Ellen closed in 1983. This innovative finishing process dramatically alters the spirit’s character, adding richer dried fruit and oak flavors to the distinctive sea salt and smoke. Priced at £45,000, the set celebrates the epic flavors that can be achieved by long maturation and embodies the distillery’s bold approach to whisky making.
As we sip the liquid from faceted custom-made tumblers, a mesmerizing animation projected onto the wall swirls with cloud-like formations and flashes of color. The visualization was created using artificial intelligence to represent the different chemical compounds that generate the flavor profiles of the two Gemini whiskies. Morrison and her colleagues plan to use the software to map the “Atlas of Smoke” and supplement their knowledge of how distillation and cask maturation affects the liquid. “The AI depiction of the smoke in Gemini is beautiful but it is also rooted in science,” says Morrison. “If we can track how smoke in a barrel evolves over 20 years and visualize that journey it could provide a valuable resource as well as some pretty amazing artwork.”
During dinner back in the distillery’s Bay Room we are treated to a couple of spectacular drams including the delectable and highly sought after Port Ellen Prima & Ultima 3. This bottle is an example of one of the few remaining whiskies produced at Port Ellen in the 1970s and is therefore coveted by collectors. Diageo’s Rare and Exceptional team curates experiences for these connoisseurs aimed at immersing them in the distillery’s history while showcasing its rebirth as a site of experimentation and innovation. Small groups can purchase tickets for select tours once a month, while the local Islay community will be invited to participate in various cultural events held at Port Ellen throughout the year.
Over breakfast the next morning, Diageo’s senior global whisky ambassador Ewan Gunn tells us how the cult following for Port Ellen, which has steadily grown over recent years, prompted the decision to relaunch the distillery. “Port Ellen’s iconic status has expanded as we’ve continued releasing phenomenal expressions from the past,” he points out. “As more and more people became aware of how great the whisky is, it felt like the right time to start making it again.” With dwindling stocks pushing prices to record-breaking levels (a bottle of Port Ellen made for Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to Islay in 1980 sold in 2022 for £100,000), there’s palpable excitement within the whisky community that it will soon be available again at a more attainable price point.
Rebuilding a distillery with little more than the original blueprints and trying to replicate a classic spirit from 40 years ago might seem like a risky move, but it’s clearly an investment Diageo is confident will pay dividends in the long run. Given the stipulation that Scotch whisky must age for at least three years in oak casks, some more patience is required before we find out if the whisky being laid down today lives up to its predecessor. In the meantime, Port Ellen’s distillers and blenders are exploring the science of smoke and creating exciting new expressions that will help to redefine how we perceive peated whiskies. We look forward to tasting what they come up with.