Port Ellen Distillery resumes production after 40 years of silence.
Port Ellen, Islay’s legendary silent distillery, is silent no more. The newly built Port Ellen Distillery reopened on March 19th on the whisky isle’s south coast. The distillery closed in 1983, part of a wave of closures across Scotland that year, though the twin pagoda roof and much of the original warehouse were preserved. The distillery first opened in 1825 but was closed for much of the 20th century, having fallen silent in 1930, before being refurbished and reopened in 1967, only to cease operating again after just 16 years. Revered for its smoky character by collectors in the four decades following its demise, the modern Port Ellen Distillery will be dedicated to exploring this smoky profile from every angle.
Port Ellen is designed to be a carbon-neutral distillery, with an impressive new stillhouse with floor-to-ceiling windows offering life-affirming views to those inside and out. There stand the Phoenix stills, a pair of large onion-shaped copper pot stills based on the shape of the previous stills—Port Ellen had two pairs of stills like this when it closed in 1983—and will make the new Port Ellen spirit after the 40 year hiatus. The smaller Experimental stills are the distillery’s pilot stills, part of a range of experimental equipment installed by distillery owner Diageo including a six-part roller mill that can handle malted and unmalted grains, an on-site laboratory, and a ten-part spirit safe. This bespoke spirit safe will enable distillers to make multiple cuts from the heart of the run to investigate ways to capture a more complex spirit. Slicing the spirit run like this to capture individual flavors has been tried elsewhere, notably by distiller Henric Molin at Swedish distillery Spirit of Hven. Diageo already has a pilot malt and grain distillery in Leven, Fife, and Port Ellen’s job will be to push the boundaries of its famous smoky profile through innovation and science. Promoted from project manager to distillery manager, Ali McDonald will oversee the day-to-day operations of the new distillery, which sits beside the bulk of Port Ellen Maltings, which opened over 50 years ago. Port Ellen master blender Aimée Morrison will use all the new tools at her disposal to create new Port Ellen whiskies and provide fresh insights into the enigmatic smoky character of Islay malts. Diageo can use this knowledge at a greater scale with the Phoenix stills at Port Ellen, as well as their other distilleries making peated whiskies such as Caol Ila, Lagavulin, and Talisker.
The rekindling of the spark at Port Ellen marks the final project in Diageo’s $250 million investment in scotch whisky, a program that has included the opening of Johnnie Walker Princes Street in Edinburgh, the reopening of Brora Distillery, new Johnnie Walker brand home experiences at Glenkinchie, Caol Ila, Cardhu, and Clynelish, and upgraded visitor facilities at Talisker and The Singleton of Glen Ord. With this final landmark act, Port Ellen makes a glorious return, celebrated with the release of the twinned Port Ellen Gemini whiskies, and news about the distillery tours Port Ellen visitors can expect. Once a month, whisky lovers will be welcomed inside free of charge for the Port Ellen Open Day, bookable in advance beginning in June. The Port Ellen Reborn experience is a 90-minute tour for up to 12 guests priced at around $250 per person, which includes an explanation of the production at Port Ellen, a warehouse tasting, and the chance to nose new make Port Ellen and draw whisky from historic casks. The Atlas of Smoke Experience at Port Ellen is a full-day immersion experience for up to eight guests including lunch, a warehouse tasting, cask sampling, and new make nosing, rounding off with a tasting of Port Ellen Gemini whiskies; a rare treat only bookable through the Diageo Private Client team.
