Schon mal jetzt zum Sparen beginnen: Anfang April veröffentlicht Diageo einen neuen Whisky aus der Lost Distillery Port Ellen. 1500 Flaschen des Port Ellen „Untold Stories – The Spirit Safe“ 39yo wird es geben, im Vereinigten Königreich soll er 4500 Britische Pfund kosten. Abgefüllt wird dieser Single Malt mit einer Alkoholstärke von 50.9%.
Weitere Abfüllungen werden aus der Untold Stories Serie folgen, allerdings gibt es dafür noch kein Veröffentlichungsdatum. Für aufmerksame Leser kommt diese neue Abfüllung nicht ganz überraschend – Diageo hat ja schon im letzten Jahr angekündigt, die Veröffentlichung der Abfüllungen von Port Ellen aus den Special Releases auszuklammern und eine eigene Reihe aufzulegen.
Hier noch die originalen Tasting Notes und die englischsprachige Pressemitteilung, die uns dazu erreicht hat:
Appearance: Radiant golden amber. Exquisite beading.
Nose: Mild to begin with then through the soft peat smoke there is a slight prickle. An abundance of fruit; sultanas, melon, lime with a hint of ginger ale. Going deeper there is honey and beeswax followed by white chocolate and burnt toast. A drop of water makes it smoother and softer; lightly winey, before the sweetness of a fresh fruit salad with ripe bananas takes over.
Body: soft
Palate: A smooth texture and a sweet, salty then smoky taste. Cooling and prickly, as intense mint and smoke give way to sweet white chocolate and fruit salad. Water adds a shake of sea salt and a pleasant pinch of dried herbs. Chocolatey, minty, chewy, and coating: with balancing bitterness offset by traces of ginger and wine.
Finish: Complex, spicy, focused and balanced. Effortlessly controlled throughout. No less focused, though softer, with water.
PORT ELLEN: UNTOLD STORIES SERIES THE SPIRIT SAFE UNLOCK THE SHINING LIGHT OF ISLAY
Port Ellen releases a 39-Year-Old single malt from original, finite stocks
In early April, Port Ellen will introduce the first exclusive release of the “Untold Stories Series” worldwide, an exploration into the innovative and trailblazing background of this iconic Islay distillery. Port Ellen: Untold Stories The Spirit Safe, a 39-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky, is one of the oldest releases from the revered distillery. With only 1,500 bottles produced, it will be available from selected luxury retailers globally.
Closed over thirty years ago in 1983, set to remain silent for all time, the Port Ellen distillery is now to be reopened in 2021. While the world waits for it to start production again, only a finite amount of its original stock remains. Since 2001, the small batch releases of Port Ellen stocks in the renowned Special Releases Series from Diageo have been highly sought after. This launch marks the first global release since the Single Malt stopped being part of the yearly releases, making it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own one of the finest Single Malts around the globe.
An elegant and complex Single Malt Scotch Whisky, expertly married from a selection of ex US-Bourbon and ex European Sherry refill casks, never before has a whisky of this age been released to the community, at a global level. Renowned for its alluring, peaty wilderness and unforgiving coast line, Port Ellen has been established as a cult whisky with unrivalled depth. This release embodies the regular smoke from the local Islay peat, but comes across slightly softer. Radiant in appearance, with exquisite beading, its smooth texture and sweet, salty then smoky taste gives a complex yet balanced finish.
Georgie Crawford, Master Distiller at Port Ellen said
“Setting a rare precedent for exceptional whisky since the beginning in 1825, this release is a perfect exploration of how early innovation at the distillery played a role in shaping the whisky industry as a whole. There’s an ethereal quality to Port Ellen and to the distillery itself. It is not easy to grasp what makes it so unique, but the people definitely matter. John Ramsay was an early innovator in the whisky industry, and not many people know how important Port Ellen was in the early days of the whisky industry. Through this release we hope to give more insight into why it is so special a liquid, not just for its flavour, but for its history.”
Tom Jones, Global Prestige Brand Ambassador comments
“This Port Ellen: Untold Stories The Spirit Safe, 39-Year-Old, is an exceptional Single Malt Scotch whisky from this storied distillery on Islay. Its ground-breaking founder skilfully harnessed the islands alluring, peaty wilderness and unforgiving coast line to create a distillery which produced cult whiskies with unrivalled depth. There is the regular smoke from the local peat, but this one is softer. As this release has been selected from a small number of casks, it is very different to other Port Ellen releases. Authentic in character, as it came from the casks and natural in colour, this liquid will no doubt inspire connoisseurs and collectors alike to own this once in a lifetime piece of history”
A treasured whisky from the beginning, exquisite details from the spirit safe’s traditional craftsmanship have been woven into the design of the release. Only the holders of two unique keys can unlock the precious single malt from its box. The first key unlocks the wrapping, the second key opens the window to the bottle, beautifully telling a story of innovative spirit and industry standard setting.
Port Ellen: Untold Stories The Spirit Safe will be available from selected luxury retailers globally from early April 2019 onwards. In the UK (domestic), RRSP of £4,500 per 70cl bottle.
