Nose: this is the sharper, flinty / mineral kind of Port Ellen, although it’s not an extreme example. It has a slightly pungent profile that I associate with wet limestone, lemon and cut grass. Ethereal hints of nail polish as well. Quite some alcohol. It misses the feminine side of vanilla that softens the 7th or 9th release. Evolves on antiseptic, diesel oil and candle wax. Walnuts as well. Faint farmy notes in the background. Hardly coastal. Water makes the grassy and ethereal notes stand out.
Mouth: strong attack with sharp peat and lemon juice. Quite salty now, a bit too salty even. Some peppery notes (the spiciest of the three OB’s I’m comparing). Water brings out the oak and adds grassy notes.
Finish: long, smoky, quite dry and salty.
A clever remark. It's true that even non-peatheads (like myself) can love Port Ellen for its uniqueness. Part of that is due to the age of course (27 yo at least) which softens the peat and adds complexity. Every whisky lovers should try to taste it once!
It seems to me (and I've never had any, but have heard from several who have) that the Port Ellen drams always have character. The tasting notes seem to be completely inconsistent between bottlings, but I've yet to see a reviewer walk away saying a PE bottling was like any other malt.