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Ballot: Port Ellen 1978 44 Year Old Gemini
Marking the return of an iconic distillery, Port Ellen Gemini is a true taste of a legend awakened - a never before seen release of two unique and priceless expressions of a much revered whisky. Entrants to the ballot will be asked to provide a £5000 deposit, with the successful entrant paying the remaining balance after it is drawn. The ballot will close at 12pm on Monday 15th April.
Since it was closed down in 1983, many whisky enthusiasts have proclaimed Port Ellen to be one of the great lost distilleries of Scotland. Prior to this, Port Ellen was one of Islay's foremost distilleries, producing notably peaty single malt after having been founded back in 1825. The liquid used in this bottling is some of the last from this heyday. Luckily, the distillery has undergone a restoration and reopening by owners Diageo, and will soon begin producing single malt Scotch one more - after four decades of closure.
Port Ellen Gemini consists of a bottle of the untouched 1978 vintage of Port Ellen, and a bottle which has been given a period of finishing in a rare and restored remnant cask. Safeguarded on Islay, the Remnant Cask, an unusual barrel of timeless worth, was revealed to have touches three generations of Port Ellen history. The cask was then revived with the same liquid it contained a century ago, walnut brown sherry.
The Original boasts a nose of baked pear, maritime scents, faint traces of smoke and soft fudge, with a palate of remarkable freshness. Sweet and spicy, with a smoky warmth and hints of baked apple skins, before a luxurious finish of aromatic sweet smoke. Bottled at 54.9% abv.
The Remnant brings aromas of dark sherry, spirit-soaked prunes and dry oak spice, with hints of tobacco, charred wood, salt and sawdust. These combine to reveal a sweet, rich charred ash smokiness, before an ultra-smooth palate of sumptuous fruits, sweet spice and smoky warmth. The finish is one to be savoured, with intense sweet-smoky flavours and a touch of spice. Bottled at 53.6% abv.
Presented in a luxurious, striking display case, this is sure to be the jewel in any whisky collectors collection.
