Port Ellen Gemini arrives in a two-bottle set that’s priced at £45,000 ($56,428 USD).
Port Ellen has been closed since 1983, but Diageo has spent the last several years investing millions into the Islay-based distillery, and now we’ve almost reached the reopening date. In celebration of the revival, Port Ellen has unveiled Gemini.
Port Ellen Gemini comes in two bottles, Gemini Original and Gemini Remnant, each featuring a different version of a 44-Year-Old Scotch. The whisky was drawn from three 1978 European oak casks, and split into two expressions, which were matured in different ways. The expressions are the oldest single malt whiskies released directly from Port Ellen.
“Marking the return of this iconic distillery, and a new light in its future, Port Ellen Gemini is a true taste of a legend reborn – a never-before-seen release of two unique and priceless expressions of a much-revered whisky, inspired by our rarest cask,” said master blender Craig Wilson. “Port Ellen Gemini invites whisky connoisseurs to compare and contrast a twin pair of 1978 Scotch whiskies, shared in its original form and finished expression. The finish is nothing short of historical: an extraordinary remnant cask that cradled three decades of Port Ellen spirit, now restored and revived, a worthy touch to this rare Scotch. It is a fitting tribute to the past and future as Port Ellen returns once again.”
Gemini Original features whisky that hasn’t been removed from the 1978 casks. It offers aromas of baked pear and sweet edible seaweed alongside notes of bonfire and soft fudge. The palate features baked apple, salt and charred ashes of bonfire.
Gemini Remnant, meanwhile, was finished in a Port Ellen remnant cask, which was saved when Port Ellen shuttered and has been re-seasoned. It offers notes of sea salt, smoke, dried fruit, and oak. The palate features dark Sherry, prunes, and oak spice, which lead to tobacco and charred-wood ash
Both whiskies come in 700ml crystal decanters featuring sections of each of the casks.
Only 274 sets of Gemini Original (54.9% ABV) and Gemini Remnant (53.6% ABV) will be made available. The set will be available in selected markets for £45,000 ($56,428 USD) and can be purchased when the distillery opens in mid-March. Registration to acquire the release is now open through Diageo’s private client team.
For more information, head over to Diageo’s official website.
Last summer, Diageo unveiled the third collection of its Prima & Ultima series of single malt Scotch whiskies, including bottles of Port Ellen and Brora from the 1980s.