Port Ellen 200th Anniversary
One year on from the opening of a re-envisioned distillery on Islay, Scotland, Port Ellen whisky celebrates 200 years.
PORT ELLEN 1825 - 2025
Port Ellen, the iconic reenvisioned Islay whisky distillery, marks its milestone 200th anniversary with the reveal of a striking new artwork that captures its pioneering and long-enduring spirit. Named after the distillery’s trailblazing mission to discover and express the mysteries of the flavour of smoke in Scotch whisky, The Atlas of Smoke - an interpretation by Ini Archibong now stands in the heart of its Islay home and forms the centrepiece of a new guest experience.
Ini Archibong, renowned for his visionary work with glass, has crafted both the largest sculpture he has made, and the largest known single artwork from highly specialised Vitrucell glass, standing at 2.3 metres tall. Continuing his legacy of working with masters in their craft, Archibong collaborated with historic glassmakers at Lhotsky Studio in the Czech Republic, whose works are represented in major national museums including The Met. No other manufacturers currently work with this material at this scale, making the piece an extraordinary technical and artistic achievement.
At once contemporary and timeless, The Atlas of Smoke - an interpretation by Ini Archibong, stands as a profound emblem of Port Ellen’s enduring spirit, a nod to its past and a totem to its future, a meeting of artistry and innovation, memory and renewal, craftsmanship and the eternal mystery of smoke. Archibong applied the same slow, meticulous process used in Scotch Whisky to slowly melt and cool molten glass to create luminous amber bricks with a swirling smoke-like appearance which layers like the aromas and flavours of Port Ellen whisky.
The bronze plinth, which mimics the rugged contours of Islay, was crafted in France with contemporary bronze artist Yannick Székany, finished with a natural, organic patina derived from the natural elements from the whisky making processes of Port Ellen Distillery. By blending traditional craftsmanship with ecological, contemporary techniques, Archibong’s piece reveals unique textures and finishes that celebrate the passage of time and imperfect beauty.
My hope is that this piece honours Port Ellen’s legacy and the profound gift of those before who have left us this precious nectar
PIONEERING EXPERIMENTATION
Port Ellen whisky-makers are striving to build a matrix of experimental liquids, investigating the intricacies of every part of the process that affects the flavour of smoke, from peat levels to distillation cut points. The standout one-of-a-kind Ten Part Spirit Safe, unveiled at reopening in March 2024, allows distillers to access unexplored flavours like never before. While standard distillery spirit safes allow for three cuts of the spirit run – the head, the heart and the tails - the Port Ellen Ten Part Spirit Safe allows multiple cuts to be drawn from the heart of the run, accessing previously unexplored flavours and characteristics, and takes the whisky-making art to new levels of intricacy and complexity.
By pushing the boundaries of whisky distillation, Port Ellen aims to explore new and mysterious dimensions of smoke. Alongside distillation of Port Ellen’s iconic traditional smoky spirit in the Phoenix stills, the Experimental stills, the second set in the still room, will be working to lay a pipeline of Port Ellen’s pioneering investigations in whisky-making. These experiments will form the next chapter of Port Ellen, and the Atlas of Smoke.
Aimée Morrison, Master Blender
"It is a great honour to help take Port Ellen into its third century of whisky making. Through collaboration of Port Ellen’s team, technical experts and whisky specialists; experimental hypotheses have been created which all look at different aspects of flavour within the world of smoke as we currently understand it. Smoke as a signature of Port Ellen is an aroma that encompasses such a broad spectrum of flavour, be it wood smoke, medicinal essence, salinity or embers from a fire. Through experimentation we hope to learn more around the intricacies of Port Ellen’s quintessential character. We look forward to sharing elements of the results of these investigations with guests at the distillery, from the Pagoda room where we will house a liquid library of our findings."
NEW RELEASE BOTTLINGS AND CONTEMPORARY CREATIVE ARTWORKS
Inspired by this ongoing experimentation, renowned creative and Port Ellen collaborator Ini Archibong will produce a new installation inspired by Port Ellen’s story and his interpretation of the nuances of smoke, to be unveiled at the close of this celebratory year. Ini previously created a piece for the brand named “Dram and the Water” which accompanied a cask of Port Ellen 1979, auctioned by Sotheby’s in 2022 for over $1,000,000. His next creation for Port Ellen will live at the distillery and represent a legacy linking the past with a vision of the future.
DISCOVER PORT ELLEN PRISM
Discover the Mesmerising Port Ellen Prism at The Distiller's One of One Charity Auction
We are proud to unveil Port Ellen Prism, the oldest ever release from the famed Islay distillery. The 46-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky is encased in a striking one-of-a-kind sculptural glass artwork by renowned artist Wilfried Grootens, which captures the interplay of light and smoke.
Supporting a Worthy Cause
This unique bottling will be featured at The Distiller’s One of One Charity Auction with Sotheby’s this October at Hopetoun House, Scotland. Proceeds will benefit the Youth Action Fund, supporting disadvantaged young people across Scotland.
For more information on this remarkable piece please visit the Distillers One of One page or to book limited experiences at Port Ellen click here.
Tickets for the range of exceptional experiences are available at www.portellen.com
A range of tailored experiences at the distillery are also available year round by visiting www.portellen.com to enquire.