Murray McDavid Mission Port Ellen 1982 (27 year old) 48.6%
Bourbon – Yquem/ Dist: 1982 Btl: 2009/ Tasted: Dec 2010
The nose opens with an avalanche of sweet honeyed fruit, iodine, seaweedy-peat and coastal notes. Quite bold for a Port Ellen with the finishing cask adding a sweet/ candied edge. Oily and briny with hints of bog myrtle, tobacco and menthol. Fresh and lively yet gentle and mature, an excellent bottling of Port Ellen which gets sweeter over time, but the coastal character balances that out well.
Soft and coastaly on the palate, with a bucket full of sweet fruit and wood spices/ tannins. Dusty peat smoke and ash drifts in along with hints of fish oils. It opens into a lovely, tart, coastal middle with the finishing cask coming through only on the finish adding a light honeyed sweetness. Vey long coastal finish.
A drop of water brings out some lovely orange fruit, whilst on the palate it has become sweeter and extremely oily now with just a touch ofparmaviolets and a gorgeous ashy finish, which is almost endless. A superb Port Ellen!
Whisky According to Chris Whiskyman 