Port Ellen is one of those names that makes whisky collectors sit up straight. The distillery closed its doors in 1983, and every year the remaining casks become scarcer and more sought-after. This particular bottling — a 10 Year Old from Signatory's Scottish Wildlife series — represents a snapshot of Islay spirit from a time when Port Ellen was still a working distillery, not the legend it's become. At £1500, you're paying for history as much as liquid, and I think it's worth being honest about that upfront.
Signatory Vintage have long been one of the most respected independent bottlers in Scotland, and their Scottish Wildlife series is known for showcasing characterful single casks. Bottled at 43% ABV, this sits at a comfortable drinking strength — not cask strength, not diluted into oblivion. It's a considered choice that suggests Signatory wanted this to be approachable rather than a flexing exercise in high proof.
At ten years old, this would have been distilled in the final years of Port Ellen's operation. That's significant. The distillery was known for producing heavily peated Islay malt, and a decade in cask would have given the spirit enough time to round off some of that raw peat intensity while still retaining the coastal, smoky character that put Port Ellen on the map. You'd expect maritime influence, medicinal peat, and a certain oiliness that distinguished Port Ellen from its Islay neighbours like Lagavulin or Laphroaig.
Tasting Notes
I don't have detailed tasting notes to share on this specific bottling, and I'd rather leave that space blank than fabricate something. What I can tell you is that Port Ellen at this age typically delivers a punchy, peat-forward Islay experience with enough barrel influence to add complexity without masking the distillery character. If you've had other Port Ellen releases from Signatory or the Diageo Special Releases, you'll have a frame of reference — though every cask tells its own story.
The Verdict
Here's where I have to split my thinking. As a whisky, a 10 year old Islay malt bottled by one of the best independents in the business at a sensible ABV is genuinely exciting. Port Ellen had a distinctive house style that no amount of nostalgia can replicate, and drinking it is a genuine experience — you're tasting something that simply cannot be made anymore in quite the same way. That earns real points.
But £1500 is a lot of money, and a portion of that price reflects collector demand rather than what's in the glass. If you're buying this to drink and appreciate a piece of Islay history, I think you'll find it rewarding. If you're buying it purely expecting it to outperform a £60 bottle of Lagavulin on flavour alone, recalibrate those expectations. The value here is rarity, provenance, and the privilege of tasting a closed distillery's output. On those terms, it delivers. A 7.8 out of 10 feels right — it's a genuinely good whisky with an extraordinary backstory, priced at a level where you need to know what you're paying for.
Best Served
Neat, in a Glencairn glass, at room temperature. Give it ten minutes to open up after pouring. If you've spent £1500 on a bottle, you owe it to yourself to experience every nuance without dilution on the first pour. On subsequent pours, a few drops of water may reveal additional layers. This is absolutely not a mixing whisky — save your Old Fashioneds for something with less history in the glass.
