Port Ellen 16 Years Old Connoisseurs Choice 1970 40% 1970

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Serge Valentin (93)

Not sure about the bottling year for this one sadly, but most of these stocks were bottled 1987-1989. Colour: gold. Nose: brimming with this unmistakeable old style Islay mix of ripe exotic fruits, wet rocks, minerals and soft peat smoke. Rather reminiscent of other old DCL makes of this era such as pre-reconstruction Caol Ila and some Lagavulin 12 year olds. Feels very ‘infused’ with various citrus, herbal, smoked tea and seawater notes. Beautifully fresh, elegant, vibrant and complex. These fleshy and bright threads of fruit are just beautiful. Mouth: as with other bottlings in this series such as the Brora 72s and some Ledaigs, Laphroaigs and Ardbegs, this is about as big as whisky can be at 40%. Big, oily and emphatic peat. Bandages, tinctures of iodine, wee hints of espresso, marmite and natural tar. Some dried exotic fruits such as mango, guava and papaya. What’s interesting here is that it lacks the natural dirtiness of later vintages; this is more about seawater, ink, medicines, oils, fruits and peat. Finish: long, fragrantly coastal, getting sharper, more punchy, salty and with a pure, crystalline and medical peat quality. Wonderfully smoky and salty aftertaste. Comments: A total thrill ride. I think these bottlings are still a tad underrated, even now. Or maybe just forgotten about.