Port Ellen 31 year old

Now the one that peat freaks wait patiently for every year, which makes it the bottling that produces the most debate. For me, this is up there with last year’s bottling, which itself ushered in a return to high standards after a slight dropping-off in expressiveness.

This is different, however. Yes, the color is as pale as ever — has anyone ever tasted an over-oaked Port Ellen? — and yes, the nose initially shows all of the distillery’s austere notes: think of a wet fish counter and the sensation of the sea rather than overt ‘fishiness,’ while there’s also a chilled cucumber note. The difference is the sweetness, which is more to the fore, and also, it would seem, a slight dropping-off in massive smokiness. Here the peat is integrated into the whole.