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Islay120 expressions tracked

Port Ellen Whisky

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Port Ellen has 120 expressions tracked. Current cross-expression median: £700. ▲ 7.1% year-on-year.

Hammer-price data from major auction houses. All prices in GBP, excluding buyer's premium.

Is Port Ellen a good whisky investment? →How to buy Port Ellen at auction →

Expressions tracked
120
Cross-expression median
£700
All-time high
£3,750
All-time low
£30

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About Port Ellen

Founded
1825
Region
Islay
Owner
Diageo (re-opened 2024)
Style
Heavily peated, smoky

Founded in 1825 and closed by the Distillers Company Limited in 1983 as part of an industry-wide overcapacity cull, Port Ellen has become one of the most mythologised distilleries in Scotch whisky history. In the years since closure, remaining stocks have been released annually by Diageo as part of the Special Releases programme, typically at 32–35 years of age, with bottles regularly achieving £3,000–£10,000 at auction. The spirit, peated to approximately 35–40 PPM using Islay peat, is characterised by a saline, smoky, waxy complexity that advocates argue is unmatched by any current Islay distillery. Port Ellen also houses Islay's central maltings, which supply peated malt to several of the island's other distilleries. The original distillery buildings were re-opened on 19 March 2024 as a luxury visitor distillery and craft-scale production facility by Diageo.

Port Ellen — distillery-level market trend (WhiskyHunter aggregate)

£427£2,643£4,860Aug 20Oct 21Dec 22Feb 24Apr 25Jun 26Sept 26

Port Ellen expressions at auction

ExpressionLatest price
Port Ellen - 40 Year Old (1979) Casks Of Distinction #6819£3,800
Port Ellen 1979 9 Rogue Casks 40 Year Old£3,700
Port Ellen 15 Year Old£3,100
Port Ellen 1981 Bottled Especially for Fèis Ìle 2008 (2008)1981£3,100
Port Ellen 1981 Feis Ile 20082008£2,800
Port Ellen 1978 39 Year Old 2018 Release2018£2,700
Port Ellen Private Collection (1979)£2,700
Port Ellen - 37 Year Old (1981) Casks Of Distinction #1297£2,700
Port Ellen 1978 The Spirit Safe 39 Year Old£2,600
Port Ellen 42 Year Old£2,600
Port Ellen 16th Annual Release 1978 37 Year Old£2,000
Port Ellen - 37 Year Old (1979) 17th Release£2,000
Port Ellen 1979 Natural Cask Strength 22 Year Old - 1st Release£1,900
Port Ellen Maltings 21 Year Old£1,800
Port Ellen 11th Annual Release 1979 32 Year Old£1,600
Port Ellen 1983 36 Year Old Eidolon 1st Release Hunter Laing£1,600
Port Ellen 13th Annual Release 1978 34 Year Old£1,600
Port Ellen 1983 33 Year Old Old & Rare£1,500
Port Ellen - 21 Year Old (Port Ellen Maltings 25th Anniversary)£1,400
Port Ellen 10th Annual Release 1978 31 Year Old£1,400
Port Ellen 14th Annual Release 1978 35 Year Old1978£1,400
Port Ellen 1982 22 Year Old Old Malt Cask For The Whisky Shop£1,400
Port Ellen 1982 Royal Wedding Bottled 2011 - The Whisky Exchange 70cl / 53%2011£1,400
Port Ellen 12th Annual Release 1979 32 Year Old£1,300
Port Ellen 6th Annual Release 1978 27 Year Old£1,300
Port Ellen 7th Annual Release 1979 28 Year Old£1,300
Port Ellen 9th Annual Release 1979 30 Year Old£1,300
Port Ellen 1979 XOP Black Series£1,200
Port Ellen 3rd Annual Release 1979 24 Year Old£1,200
Port Ellen 4th Annual Release 1978 25 Year Old£1,200
Port Ellen 1983 33 Year Old First Editions Authors’ Series Alfred Tennyson£1,100
Port Ellen 5th Annual Release 1979 25 Year Old£1,100
Port Ellen 1982 21 Year Old Old Malt Cask£1,100
Port Ellen 8th Annual Release 1978 29 Year Old£1,100
Port Ellen - 22 Year Old (1978) Rare Malts£1,000
Port Ellen 1983 30 Year Old Douglas Laing Executive Decision£1,000
Port Ellen 1979 30 Year Old Old & Rare£950
Port Ellen 1979 36 Year Old XOP£950
Port Ellen 1979 37 Year Old Goren's Whisky£950
Port Ellen 1982 Samaroli£950
Port Ellen 1st Annual Release 1979 22 Year Old£950
Port Ellen 1978 30 Year Old - Old & Rare Platinum Selection Bottled 2009 - Douglas Laing 70cl / 52.5%2009£950
Port Ellen 2nd Annual Release 1978 24 Year Old£900
Port Ellen - 37 Year Old (1979) Whisky Live 2018 (Tel-Aviv)2018£900
Port Ellen 1983 35 Year Old XOP£850
Port Ellen - 29 Year Old (Douglas Laing's Old & Rare)£850
Port Ellen 1969 15 Year Old Connoisseur’s Choice 75cl£800
Port Ellen 1974 30 Year Old Signatory£800
Port Ellen - 17 Year Old (Douglas Murdoch & Co Ltd)£800
Port Ellen - 20 Year Old (1978) Rare Malts£800
Port Ellen - 1982 (Single Cask #1511) MacKillop's Choice£750
Port Ellen 1974 22 Year Old Signatory Silent Stills & Matching Mini£750
Port Ellen 1978 24 Year Old Whisky Shop Exclusive£750
Port Ellen The Golden Cask , 1983 Port Ellen 28 Year Old, Old Bothwell Single Cask£750
Port Ellen - 26 Year Old (1978) Old Malt Cask£700
Port Ellen 1983 26 Year Old Signatory£700
Port Ellen 1983 27 Year Old Old Malt Cask£700
Port Ellen 23 Year Old, Signatory Vintage, 1978 Port Ellen Connoisseurs Choice, Gordon & MacPhail, 1981 Port Ellen Berry's Own Selection, 19821982£700
Port Ellen Port Wood Finish Edition 1, Signatory Vintage, 1978 Port Ellen Port Wood Finish Edition 2, Signatory Vintage , 19781978£700
Port Ellen 23 Year Old (1978) Signatory Vintage (1978) · Signatory£650
Boutique-Y Whisky Co Port Ellen 33 Year Old Batch #6 50cl£650
Port Ellen 1980 16 Year Old Signatory£650
Port Ellen 26 Year Old, Daily Dram Old Malt Cask , 1982 Port Ellen Gordon & MacPhail, 19801982£650
Classic Islay Collection 2007 Release including Port Ellen 28 Year Old 7th Release£600
Port Ellen 1983 26 Year Old Old Malt Cask£600
Port Ellen 26 Year Old Provenance (McGibbon's) (1983)£600
Port Ellen - 21 Year Old (1979) Old Malt Cask£600
Port Ellen 1982 27 Year Old Chieftain's£600
Port Ellen 1983 28 Year Old Old Malt Cask£600
Port Ellen 18 Year Old Provenance (1982)£550
Port Ellen 1971 Connoisseurs Choice£550
Port Ellen 1982 30 Year Old Chieftain's£550
Port Ellen 1983 Dormant Distillery 10th Anniversary£550
Port Ellen - 26 Year Old (1982) Chieftain's£500
Port Ellen 1981 18 Year Old Old Malt Cask£500
Port Ellen 1983 25 Year Old Provenance£500
Port Ellen 1976 18 Year Old Cask 4781 First Cask 70cl / 46%£500
Port Ellen 1980 Speymalt Whisky Distributors for La Cave Du Palais De Justice SA Geneve£500
Port Ellen 1982 19 Year Old Old Malt Cask£500
Port Ellen 1983 19 Year Old Provenance£500
Port Ellen 19 Year Old (1981) (1981)£450
Port Ellen 10 Year Old Scottish Wildlife£450
Port Ellen 1979 23 Year Old Signatory£450
Port Ellen 1982 19 Year Old Provenance£450
Port Ellen 1982 25 Year Old John Milroy Selection£450
Port Ellen 1981 Connoisseurs Choice£400
Port Ellen 1983 23 Year Old Dun Bheagan£400
Port Ellen 1983 Golden Cask£400
Port Ellen 25 Year Old Bladnoch Forum£400
Classic Islay Collection 2005 Release including Port Ellen 25 Year Old 5th Release£400
Port Ellen - 33 Year Old (That Boutique-y Whisky Company) Batch #7 (37.5cl)£400
Port Ellen 1980 Connoisseurs Choice£400
Port Ellen 1982 Connoisseurs Choice£400
Port Ellen 1977 19 Year Old Hart Brothers£400
Port Ellen 1979 13 Year Old Douglas Murdoch & Co£400
Port Ellen 1982 15 Year Old Signatory£400
Port Ellen 1983 23 Year Old Provenance£400
Port Ellen 1983 14 Year Old Hart Brothers£350
Port Ellen 6th Release 27 Year Old 20cl£350
Port Ellen 1979 22 Year Old Signatory£350
Port Ellen 6th Annual Release 1978 27 Year Old 20cl£300
Port Ellen 1983 22 Year Old Old Malt Cask Advanced Sample£150
Port Ellen 1983 40 Year Old Duncan Taylor Duty Paid Sample Mini 2cl£150
Port Ellen 26 Year Old (Blackadder) 20cl£150
Port Ellen 1978 Gordon & Macphail Mini£50
Port Ellen 1979 37 Year Old Goren’s Whisky Mini£50
Port Ellen 1974 17 Year Old Signatory Mini£50
Port Ellen 1982 13 Year Old Signtory Mini£50
Port Ellen 19 Year Old Old Malt Cask Mini£50
Port Ellen 1971 Connoisseurs Choice 5cl£50
Port Ellen 1980 Gordon & Macphail Mini£50
Port Ellen - 20 Year Old (Old Malt Cask) 5cl£50
Port Ellen 1969 Connoisseurs Choice Mini£50
Port Ellen 1974 Connoisseurs Choice Mini£50
Port Ellen 1979 14 Year Old Signatory Mini£50
Port Ellen 1979 Connoisseurs Choice Mini 5cl£50
Port Ellen 1980 Connoisseurs Choice Mini£50
No recent auction data — 3 expressions
Port Ellen 17th Annual ReleaseAwaiting data
Port Ellen 1st ReleaseAwaiting data
Port Ellen 37 Year Old Untold StoriesAwaiting data

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Frequently asked questions

What is the current auction price of Port Ellen whisky?+

The current median auction price across all tracked Port Ellen expressions is £700. This is a hammer price in GBP, excluding buyer's premium, aggregated from major auction houses.

Is Port Ellen whisky a good investment?+

Port Ellen whisky has moved up 7.1% year-on-year based on auction hammer prices. Past auction performance is not a guarantee of future value.

Where can I sell Port Ellen whisky?+

Port Ellen bottles regularly appear at Scotch Whisky Auctions, Whisky Auctioneer, Just Whisky, Whisky Hammer, and Bonhams. Current median hammer price is £700, excluding buyer's premium.

Monthly data

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