Port Ellen 12 yo James MacArthur 59%

Port Ellen 12 yo James MacArthur 59%

This one is referred to as the dark sherried version, opposite the more common 62.7% pale by the same bottler, and comes with a rich reputation surrounding its utter rarity.  The nose – Yes. A deep pit of liquid pitch into which darkly-gleaming oily woods like teak and ebony are thrown, along with vast volumes of sarsaparilla, raw licorice root, dank mushrooms,  and an entire bog’s worth of rotted bog oak. It’s that earthy. But find also rich purples and soft browns of no particular dried fruit, pure cocoa, glowing coals, rock salt, the grimiest sea mud and then fill that pit to the brim with hot tar. Can tar be fermented? So phenolic yet so perfectly amalgamated. The wood and the swashes of purple and black fruit dissipate into the bottomless phenols and a seemingly solid smoke. Salt at the tip of the tongue at the end. This stands as a giant upon the already storied landscape that is old Port Ellen. 94 pts Alas, to each their own, I do prefer the 62.7% but that is not to detract from the legend that is this bottle.