Soon enough, whisky fans can sip Port Ellen without paying huge prices on the secondary market.
This legendary “ghost distillery” — closed in the mid ’80s during the most recent Scotch nadir — recently received approval from the local building council to move ahead with erecting a new distillery on Islay.
Diageo owns the brand. Back in 2017, the company announced that it was resurrecting Port Ellen, along with Brora Distillery. Both brands have taken on cult followings and hefty price tags in the decades since the two distilleries closed. Altogether this project will require an investment of around $46 million.
Construction for the new facility will include two pot stills in the classic Port Ellen style, Diageo says in a press release, along with smaller stills capable of producing Scotch that’s more modern.
“We are delighted to have reached this important milestone in our journey to bring Port Ellen back into production,” says Georgie Crawford, the former Lagavulin distiller who is now Master Distiller for Port Ellen. “We are incredibly excited to begin the next phase of the project and to make our long-cherished dream of restoring Port Ellen distillery a reality.”
