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Product Description
The headline bottle of the Diageo Special Releases 2016 – the 16th release of whisky from cult closed distillery Port Ellen. This is a big, spicy dram, balancing smoke and hot spice against the traditional leather, citrus and seaside character.
Style
Style
- Body4
- Richness2
- Smoke2
- Sweetness2
Character
Character
Product Facts
Product Facts
Bottler
Distillery Bottling
Series
Diageo Special Releases 2016
Age
Vintage
Bottling Date
2016
No of Bottles
2940
Country
Scotland
Region
Islay
Port Ellen 1978 37 Year Old 16th Release (2016)
70cl / 55.2%
FREE UK standard delivery
In stock online
£4,500
£3,750 ex VAT
(£6,428.57 per litre)
You must be aged 18 or above to buy alcohol in the UK
Delivery
Delivery
Express delivery(Next Day / Sat / Sun / Choose Day)
£6.95
Standard delivery (3-5 Working Days)
Free
Click & Collect (Mon-Fri 10am - 5pm)
Free
How We Pack
Eco-friendly packaging
We're proud to say the packaging we use in our warehouse is entirely plastic-free, instead making use of recycled and recyclable paper and cardboard, from our wrapping and tape to our document pouches.
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We deliver to countries all over the world. You can also select express delivery, or pick a specific delivery date, at checkout.
Packed with care
Our experienced warehouse team take great care with every order. As specialists in glass packaging they ensure that your items stay safe and secure.
Returns
30-Day returns policy
We want you to be 100% happy with your order and it is our aim to ensure that all products supplied to all customers arrive in perfect condition. You have the right to cancel your order at any time without being charged for the goods ordered within 30 days of purchasing (other than for perishable or personalised products or those products that have been specified as non-returnable).
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Disclaimer
While we endeavour to provide full and accurate information on our website, there may be occasions where producers have updated their recipe or failed to provide full details of their ingredients and processes. This may affect factors including the product style and allergen information, and we would advise that you always check the label and not solely rely on the information presented here. If you are at all uncertain about a product then please contact our customer service team before purchase.
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Sell my bottleTasting Notes
Tasting Notes
Tasting notes by Billy Abbott (TWE)
Nose
Sugared almonds, chamois leather, sherbet lemons, oily smoke, a hint of empty fish tins, brine, floral heather honey and bung cloth – an avalanche of flavours which work impressively well. As things calm down in the glass, spicy rye bread, musty green ferns and touches of hay appear.
Palate
Sweet and oily to start, it quickly turns to sour apple with a big kick of spice – rye bread, nutmeg and white pepper. Behind that punch are leathery notes, caramel, treacle toffee and liquorice, with dark chocolate, blackcurrant jam and oaky smoke sitting right at the back. Water brings out more spice and fruit – apple leather, black pepper and freshly scraped vanilla pods.
Finish
Driftwood, green leaves and forest ponds to start, with soft liquorice notes building before fading to sweet dark chocolate with a hint of fennel. It keeps going, fading to soft spice after a few minutes.
Comments
It’s an intense dram, with water only adding more intensity – one to drink neat. It’s a classic Port Ellen with the almost clichéd chamois leather and sherbet notes balanced perfectly against gentle smoke and seaside character. An impressive dram.
More from Port Ellen
Port Ellen 197829 Year Old 8th Release (2008)
£4,500
Port Ellen 197932 Year Old 12th Release (2012)
£4,500
Port Ellen 198332 Year Old 15th Release (2015)
£4,500
Port Ellen 197922 Year Old 1st Release (2001)
£5,000
Port Ellen 197834 Year Old 13th Release (2013)
£5,500
Port Ellen 197937 Year Old 17th Release (2017)
£6,000
Customer Reviews
(1 Review)
I don’t get to Taste too many really old and “expensive” whiskies , so it is a rare privilege to be sampling this on Burns night, thanks to TWE and the good Dr. Dunn One of those noses that makes you want to sit down, and shut up. It immediately has everything I want in a whisky. An initial hit reminding me of Lagavulin 12, with putty like peat…and then I;m reminded of my beloved Talisker 30 with its delicate mix of fruit and brine. Then it gets sweeter and woodier all at once. like drinking hot chocolate in a room with a newly polished floor. And I;m sucking so hard through my nostrils because even the nose prickle is aromatic. I close my eyes and I;m breathing the sea air on Port Ellen lighthouse looking across The water at the old distillery… Just so grand, eloquent And elegant on the palate/ Sweet gentle and powerful Like lightly peated custard . Creamy, smoky and deep. And then…fruit! I return to the nose, and all the elements, have merged into one harmonious whole. My nose can;t suck hard enough. So delicious. So powerful. So delicate. My God why can;t i buy a bottle of this for 50 quid in Waitrose? Oh, and now through the smoke and sweet peat come all kinds of fruit. From oranges to tropical…lightly spiced smoked cherry jam! And just a touch of earthiness running through the whole experience , and a final hint of coffee, which I always love on a good Caol Ila… This is one off those whiskies that has everything…