Port Ellen 1979 / 13 Year Old / Douglas Murdoch Islay Whisky

Jackson Wu — Beautiful but hard to justify the price

7/10

Let me be honest — at £950 you're paying for the Port Ellen name and the fact the distillery is gone. The whisky itself is very good, lovely ashy peat with some vanilla sweetness, but 40% ABV feels a bit thin for what you're shelling out. I'd recommend splitting a bottle with friends so you can experience it without the financial sting.

Luna Chavez — Beautiful but hard to justify the price

7/10

Let me be honest — at £950 you're paying for the Port Ellen name and the fact the distillery is gone. The whisky itself is very good, lovely ashy peat with some vanilla sweetness, but 40% ABV feels a bit thin for what you're shelling out. I'd recommend splitting a bottle with friends so you can experience it without the financial sting.

Erik Strom — Beautiful but hard to justify the price

7/10

Let me be honest — at £950 you're paying for the Port Ellen name and the fact the distillery is gone. The whisky itself is very good, lovely ashy peat with some vanilla sweetness, but 40% ABV feels a bit thin for what you're shelling out. I'd recommend splitting a bottle with friends so you can experience it without the financial sting.

Jorge Castillo — Shared this with my dad and we both loved it

8/10

Bought this as a special occasion bottle for my father's 70th. Neither of us are peat heads usually but the 13 years of maturation has tamed the smoke beautifully. There's this lovely honeyed sweetness underneath with a long salty finish. At £950 it's a once-in-a-lifetime purchase for me but no regrets at all.

Nia Okafor — Shared this with my dad and we both loved it

8/10

Bought this as a special occasion bottle for my father's 70th. Neither of us are peat heads usually but the 13 years of maturation has tamed the smoke beautifully. There's this lovely honeyed sweetness underneath with a long salty finish. At £950 it's a once-in-a-lifetime purchase for me but no regrets at all.

Sophie Brennan — Shared this with my dad and we both loved it

8/10

Bought this as a special occasion bottle for my father's 70th. Neither of us are peat heads usually but the 13 years of maturation has tamed the smoke beautifully. There's this lovely honeyed sweetness underneath with a long salty finish. At £950 it's a once-in-a-lifetime purchase for me but no regrets at all.

Haruki Sato — Good not great, but it's Port Ellen

7/10

Bottled at 40% which I think holds it back a little compared to cask strength Port Ellens I've tasted. The smoke and sea salt are present but feel slightly muted. Still a solid dram and obviously the closed distillery mystique adds to the occasion — just manage your expectations if you're used to punchier Islay whiskies.

Thomas Weber — Good not great, but it's Port Ellen

7/10

Bottled at 40% which I think holds it back a little compared to cask strength Port Ellens I've tasted. The smoke and sea salt are present but feel slightly muted. Still a solid dram and obviously the closed distillery mystique adds to the occasion — just manage your expectations if you're used to punchier Islay whiskies.

Camila Ortiz — Good not great, but it's Port Ellen

7/10

Bottled at 40% which I think holds it back a little compared to cask strength Port Ellens I've tasted. The smoke and sea salt are present but feel slightly muted. Still a solid dram and obviously the closed distillery mystique adds to the occasion — just manage your expectations if you're used to punchier Islay whiskies.

Ravi Krishnan — A piece of whisky history in a glass

9/10

My mate opened this at his birthday and we all went quiet after the first sip. Gentle iodine and smoke on the nose, then this beautiful waxy fruit character underneath the peat. The Douglas Murdoch bottling is a cracker — 13 years was clearly the sweet spot for this cask.

Clara Johansson — A piece of whisky history in a glass

9/10

My mate opened this at his birthday and we all went quiet after the first sip. Gentle iodine and smoke on the nose, then this beautiful waxy fruit character underneath the peat. The Douglas Murdoch bottling is a cracker — 13 years was clearly the sweet spot for this cask.

Kenji Watanabe — A piece of whisky history in a glass

9/10

My mate opened this at his birthday and we all went quiet after the first sip. Gentle iodine and smoke on the nose, then this beautiful waxy fruit character underneath the peat. The Douglas Murdoch bottling is a cracker — 13 years was clearly the sweet spot for this cask.

Suki Patel — Classic Islay, elegant age

8/10

Nose is all coastal peat, dried seaweed, and a hint of lemon rind. On the palate it's surprisingly smooth for an Islay — the 13 years have softened the smoke into something really refined. I expected more punch at 40% but honestly the balance is lovely.

Andre Dubois — Classic Islay, elegant age

8/10

Nose is all coastal peat, dried seaweed, and a hint of lemon rind. On the palate it's surprisingly smooth for an Islay — the 13 years have softened the smoke into something really refined. I expected more punch at 40% but honestly the balance is lovely.

Mei-Lin Wu — Classic Islay, elegant age

8/10

Nose is all coastal peat, dried seaweed, and a hint of lemon rind. On the palate it's surprisingly smooth for an Islay — the 13 years have softened the smoke into something really refined. I expected more punch at 40% but honestly the balance is lovely.

Connor McBride — Worth every penny for a closed distillery

9/10

I saved up for months and finally pulled the trigger on this Port Ellen 1979. At 13 years old and only 40% ABV it's gentler than some Islay malts but the peat smoke and maritime character are unmistakable. Drinking it neat is like stepping into a time machine — you can't get this anymore and it shows.

Tiffany Nguyen — Worth every penny for a closed distillery

9/10

I saved up for months and finally pulled the trigger on this Port Ellen 1979. At 13 years old and only 40% ABV it's gentler than some Islay malts but the peat smoke and maritime character are unmistakable. Drinking it neat is like stepping into a time machine — you can't get this anymore and it shows.

Devon Marsh — Worth every penny for a closed distillery

9/10

I saved up for months and finally pulled the trigger on this Port Ellen 1979. At 13 years old and only 40% ABV it's gentler than some Islay malts but the peat smoke and maritime character are unmistakable. Drinking it neat is like stepping into a time machine — you can't get this anymore and it shows.

Petra Novak — Subtle and rewarding

8/10

I've had a few Port Ellens now and this 1979 vintage is on the softer side. The peat is there but it's more smouldering embers than bonfire, with some dried fruit and a briny finish. Neat with a few drops of water really opens it up. Not the most powerful Islay I've tried but genuinely enjoyable.

Ingrid Holm — Subtle and rewarding

8/10

I've had a few Port Ellens now and this 1979 vintage is on the softer side. The peat is there but it's more smouldering embers than bonfire, with some dried fruit and a briny finish. Neat with a few drops of water really opens it up. Not the most powerful Islay I've tried but genuinely enjoyable.