Port Ellen 12 Year Old / Douglas Murdoch Islay Whisky

Tyler Bennet — History in a glass

8/10

Picked this Douglas Murdoch bottling up at auction and finally cracked it open for my birthday. The peat is there but it's refined after 12 years — more smouldering embers than bonfire. I get iodine, old leather, and a hint of citrus underneath. Drinking a closed distillery's whisky always hits different.

Clara Johansson — History in a glass

8/10

Picked this Douglas Murdoch bottling up at auction and finally cracked it open for my birthday. The peat is there but it's refined after 12 years — more smouldering embers than bonfire. I get iodine, old leather, and a hint of citrus underneath. Drinking a closed distillery's whisky always hits different.

Gianluca Ferro — Good but the hype inflates expectations

7/10

Look, it's a solid Islay dram with lovely smoky-maritime character and a decent oily texture. But at 40% ABV it feels like it could use more punch, especially at this price point. I've had cask strength Islays at a fraction of the cost that deliver more. The Port Ellen name is doing a lot of heavy lifting here.

Luna Chavez — Ghost distillery magic

9/10

I nearly choked at the £900 price tag but a friend let me try his bottle and I get it now. Massive peat smoke on the nose with this briny, almost medicinal quality that's unmistakably Port Ellen. At 40% it's gentler than you'd expect from an Islay but the finish just keeps going. Worth every penny if you can find it.

Priya Sharma — Ghost distillery magic

9/10

I nearly choked at the £900 price tag but a friend let me try his bottle and I get it now. Massive peat smoke on the nose with this briny, almost medicinal quality that's unmistakably Port Ellen. At 40% it's gentler than you'd expect from an Islay but the finish just keeps going. Worth every penny if you can find it.