Port Ellen has marked its 200th anniversary with the release of a 42-year-old single malt, distilled in 1983 and drawn from some of the final casks filled before the distillery’s closure that same year.
Limited to 150 bottles and priced at £7,500, the Port Ellen 200th Anniversary Edition is among the oldest official releases from the distillery. It matured in European oak for more than four decades and is bottled at 56.4% ABV. The presentation is notably restrained, a clear departure from recent ultra-premium releases.
The whisky is the first limited bottling since Port Ellen reopened in 2024 after more than 40 years of silence, with production now resumed on Islay. According to master blender Aimée Morrison, the release captures “the complexities of smoke mingled with underlying berry flavors,” alongside notes of caramelized brown sugar, red fruits and soft wood smoke. You can read our full tasting notes on the release here.
The anniversary bottling forms part of a broader programme marking 200 years of the distillery. This includes the unveiling of “Port Ellen Prism”, described as the oldest whisky ever released from the distillery, created as a one-off piece for the Distillers One of One charity auction at Sotheby’s.
Additional initiatives include a forthcoming installation at the distillery by artist Ini Archibong and continued work on the distillery’s “Atlas of Smoke” research programme.
The release will be available from October via private client channels and directly from the distillery by appointment.
The launch also signals a shift in approach. Recent Port Ellen releases have tested the upper limits of pricing, including a 43-year-old expression released at £15,000 and the Gemini series, which struggled to hold value on the secondary market.
By contrast, the 200th Anniversary Edition arrives at a lower price point, tighter outturn and more understated presentation, suggesting a recalibration in response to softer demand at the top end of the Scotch market.
