Port Ellen 1980 Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice

Port Ellen always has a bit of a magical ring to it, so whenever I get the chance to try it, I never let it pass me by. I tried this particular bottling at a friend’s birthday party. It is the Port ellen 1980 in Gordon & Macphail’s Connoisseurs Choice series, bottled in 1996. So it had almost spent 20 years in the bottle by the time my friend opened it. It took me another nine months to try the sample that I took home. The nose is surprisingly sweet on figs and raisins with only mild maritime notes. Unfortunately there is also some OBE, which makes it a bit metallic and perfumy. Far from being a grand nose, I’m afraid. It is a bit flat on the palate – again probably due to the long time in the bottle – but nicely fruity. The peat remains very discrete in the background and hardly offers any smoke. The fruit has free reign. Both fresh and candied yellow and dark fruit emerge. Dades, figs, apricots. This was most likely a sherry cask. The finish is fairly short on dark and sweet notes with a touch of smoke. Ah,well, all that glitters is not gold, of course. This is the legendary Port Ellen’s little brother. Thanks, Jan!

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