Port Ellen Distillery Reopens with New Spirit
The Port Ellen Distillery has reopened after over 40 years of silence. The Islay distillery closed in 1983 amid the Whisky Loch. Diageo has invested £185 million into the distillery, as well as Brora, which reopened in 2021. Both ghost distilleries are now open for business.
After Port Ellen closed its doors in 1983, its whiskies have sold for astonishing prices at auction. The Port Ellen Annual Release is particularly sought after by whisky collectors. In the 1980s and 1990s a slump in the market lead to the closure of many ghost distilleries, including Port Ellen. Drinkers today can get the cheapest bottle for around £850, but some editions can cost tens of thousands of pounds.
The New Port Ellen Rolls Out the Port Ellen Gemini
Port Ellen Distillery as been renovated. According to Diageo, it has been designed from the ground up to push the boundaries of innovation, experimentation, and sustainability. The distillery utilizes the stunning Islay scenery and an impressive glass stillhouse.
Founded on the shores of Islay in 1825, Port Ellen has achieved many industry firsts, including being the first Scotch whisky distillery to export to North America. While it has fluctuated in peaty profile over the course of its history (a quirk that makes it catnip for collectors), its signature notes are an ashy smoke and a robust fruitiness that get more complex and interesting with age
This distillery was designed to meet Diageo’s environmental commitments. It pledges to become carbon neutral by 2030. Port Ellen is helping them to achieve that goal by recycling water and heat and using renewable biofuels.
As part of the distillery’s reopening, the Port Ellen Gemini was released in February 2024. The Gemini is a blend of two single malts, originally distilled in 1978 and bottled 44 years later. One was aged in European oak butts and the other expression was aged in casks reserved from the original distillery.