Port Ellen Distillery Reborn with £185 Million Investment, Ushering in a New Whisky Era

Diageo has invested £185 million to rebuild the legendary Port Ellen whisky distillery, not only restoring its classic features but also transforming it into an innovation hub with R&D capabilities. Coinciding with its 200th anniversary in 2025, the team has initiated the long-term Atlas of Smoke project, led by master blender Aimée Morrison, to explore how peat sources and distillation cuts influence flavor.

The reconstruction, overseen by Islay veteran Alexander McDonald, replicates the Phoenix stills from the distillery's 1967-1983 era while adding experimental stills one-third the size, equipped with a unique ten-cut spirit still for precise separation of heart components. The site retains its iconic seaside white warehouses and continues to supply heavily peated malt to most Islay distilleries.

In 2025, the distillery will release Gemini, featuring two 1978 vintage expressions aged in European oak and original distillery casks, showcasing 44 years of maturation. During the Fèis Ìle festival, Port Ellen will host deep-dive tastings, allowing participants to sample experimental batches and rare aged whiskies.

Port Ellen has evolved from a nostalgic revival project into a whisky innovation engine, with contemporary artist Ini Archibong creating smoke-inspired sensory installations and charity auction pieces that translate experimental data into art. This revival not only resurrects legendary flavors but also aims to deconstruct the essence of smoke, redefining the future of whisky.

2025-05-30

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