Port Ellen – 1978 24 Year Old 2nd Release (70cl, 59.4%)

A 24-year-old Islay single malt from Port Ellen, distilled in 1978 and issued as the 2nd Release. It is bottled at 59.35% ABV in a 70cl bottle. Port Ellen closed in 1983 and the distillery was later demolished. This bottling comes from the early Special Releases era under Diageo, when the spirit was still largely destined for blends and its worth as a single malt was only starting to be appreciated. It is one of the earliest official Port Ellen bottlings, from a distillery whose reputation rests on elegant, smoky complexity.