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Islay94 expressions tracked

Port Ellen Whisky

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Port Ellen has 91 bottles tracked at auction. Current cross-expression median: £780. ▼ 27.1% 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 →

Bottles tracked
94
Cross-expression median
£780
All-time high
£13,000
All-time low
£40

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About Port Ellen

Founded
1825
Region
Islay
Owner
Diageo (re-opened 2023)
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 in 2023 as a luxury visitor distillery and craft-scale production facility by Diageo.

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

£446£2,653£4,860Jul 20Sept 21Nov 22Jan 24Mar 25May 26Jul 26

Port Ellen expressions at auction

ExpressionLatest price
Port Ellen 3rd Annual Release 1979 24 Year Old£13,000
Port Ellen 40 Year Old, Prima & Ultima First Release, 1979 Caol Ila 35 Year Old, Prima & Ultima First Release, 1984 Talisker 31 Year Old, Prima & Ultima First Release, 1988 Cragganmore 48 Year Old, Prima & Ultima First Release , 1971 The Singleton of Dufftown 30 Year Old, Prima & Ultima First Release, 1988 Lagavulin 28 Year Old, Prima & Ultima First Release , 1991 Mortlach 25 Year Old, Prima & Ultima First Release , 1994 Clynelish 26 Year Old, Prima & Ultima First Release, 19931994£10,000
Port Ellen - 40 Year Old (1979) Casks Of Distinction #6819£3,750
Port Ellen 1979 9 Rogue Casks 40 Year Old£3,700
Port Ellen 1981 Feis Ile 20082008£3,400
Port Ellen 42 Year Old£3,100
Port Ellen 1977 (1977)£2,900
Port Ellen 1978 39 Year Old 2018 Release2018£2,700
Port Ellen - 37 Year Old (1981) Casks Of Distinction #1297£2,650
Port Ellen 1978 The Spirit Safe 39 Year Old£2,600
Port Ellen 16th Annual Release 1978 37 Year Old£2,000
Port Ellen - 37 Year Old (1979) Whisky Live 2018 (Tel-Aviv)2018£1,950
Port Ellen 1974 14 Year Old (1974)£1,950
Port Ellen 1974 15 Year Old (1974)£1,850
Port Ellen 1979 Natural Cask Strength 22 Year Old - 1st Release£1,850
Port Ellen Maltings 21 Year Old£1,800
Port Ellen 10th Annual Release 1978 31 Year Old£1,600
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£1,550
Port Ellen - 32 Year Old (1979) 12th Release (75cl) Whisky Auction£1,525
Port Ellen 12th Annual Release 1979 32 Year Old£1,450
Port Ellen - 21 Year Old (Port Ellen Maltings 25th Anniversary)£1,400
Port Ellen - 30 Year Old (1979) 9th Release Whisky Auction£1,200
Port Ellen 1979 XOP Black Series£1,200
Port Ellen 9th Annual Release 1979 30 Year Old£1,150
Port Ellen - 29 Year Old (1978) 8th Release Whisky Auction£1,100
Port Ellen 1983 33 Year Old First Editions Authors’ Series Alfred Tennyson£1,100
Port Ellen 2nd Annual Release 1978 24 Year Old£1,050
Port Ellen - 22 Year Old (1978) Rare Malts£1,000
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 6th Annual Release 1978 27 Year Old£950
Port Ellen 8th Annual Release 1978 29 Year Old£950
Port Ellen 1978 30 Year Old - Old & Rare Platinum Selection Bottled 2009 - Douglas Laing 70cl / 52.5%2009£925
Port Ellen 1983 30 Year Old Douglas Laing Executive Decision£900
Port Ellen 1st Annual Release 1979 22 Year Old£900
Port Ellen 24 Year Old Adelphi , 1975 Port Ellen 17 Year Old Cask Strength, Douglas Murdoch£900
Port Ellen - 29 Year Old (Douglas Laing's Old & Rare)£840
Port Ellen 1979 28 Year Old Special Releases 2007 - 7th Release 70cl / 53.8%2007£825
Port Ellen 1969 15 Year Old Connoisseur’s Choice 75cl£800
Port Ellen 1974 30 Year Old Signatory£800
Port Ellen 4th Annual Release 1978 25 Year Old£800
Port Ellen - 17 Year Old (Douglas Murdoch & Co Ltd)£780
Port Ellen - 20 Year Old (1978) Rare Malts£780
Port Ellen - 1982 (Single Cask #1511) MacKillop's Choice£760
Port Ellen 18 Year Old, Old Malt Cask , 1981 Port Ellen 21 Year Old, Old Malt Cask , 19791981£750
Port Ellen 1978 24 Year Old Whisky Shop Exclusive£750
Port Ellen 1983 27 Year Old Old Malt Cask£750
Port Ellen The Golden Cask , 1983 Port Ellen 28 Year Old, Old Bothwell Single Cask£750
Port Ellen 26 Year Old (1983) Duncan Taylor (1983) · Duncan Taylor£720
Port Ellen - 26 Year Old (1978) Old Malt Cask£700
Port Ellen 1983 26 Year Old Signatory£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£660
Port Ellen 17 Year Old, Signatory Vintage , 1974 Port Ellen 25 Year Old, Signatory Vintage Millennium Edition, 19751975£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
Port Ellen - 21 Year Old (1979) Old Malt Cask£580
Port Ellen 1982 27 Year Old Chieftain's£580
Port Ellen 1983 28 Year Old Old Malt Cask£580
Port Ellen 1982 30 Year Old Chieftain's£560
Port Ellen 1983 Dormant Distillery 10th Anniversary£560
Port Ellen - 26 Year Old (1982) Chieftain's£520
Port Ellen 1983 25 Year Old Provenance£520
Port Ellen 1976 18 Year Old Cask 4781 First Cask 70cl / 46%£500
Port Ellen 1983 19 Year Old Provenance£500
Port Ellen 24 Year Old (1979) Signatory Vintage (1979) · Signatory£490
Port Ellen 19 Year Old (1981) (1981)£470
Port Ellen - 1982 (Gordon & MacPhail) Connoisseurs Choice Whisky Auction£450
Port Ellen 1981 Connoisseurs Choice£440
Port Ellen 1983 23 Year Old Dun Bheagan£420
Port Ellen 1983 Golden Cask£420
Port Ellen 25 Year Old Bladnoch Forum£420
Port Ellen - 33 Year Old (That Boutique-y Whisky Company) Batch #7 (37.5cl)£400
Port Ellen 1980 Connoisseurs Choice£400
Port Ellen 1977 19 Year Old Hart Brothers£380
Port Ellen 1982 15 Year Old Signatory£380
Port Ellen 1983 14 Year Old Hart Brothers£380
Port Ellen 1983 23 Year Old Provenance£380
Port Ellen 1982 Connoisseurs Choice£360
Port Ellen 6th Release 27 Year Old 20cl£360
Port Ellen 1979 22 Year Old Signatory£340
Port Ellen 6th Annual Release 1978 27 Year Old 20cl£320
Port Ellen 1983 40 Year Old Duncan Taylor Duty Paid Sample Mini 2cl£160
Port Ellen 26 Year Old (Blackadder) 20cl Whisky Auction£140
Port Ellen 1971 Connoisseurs Choice 5cl£45
Port Ellen - 20 Year Old (Old Malt Cask) 5cl£43
Port Ellen 1979 Connoisseurs Choice Mini 5cl£40
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

Related distilleries

Other Islay distilleries tracked at auction on wsky1.

Bowmore whisky prices →Ardbeg whisky prices →Caol Ila whisky prices →Lagavulin whisky prices →

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 £780. 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 down 27.1% 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 £780, excluding buyer's premium.

Monthly data

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