Port Ellen
One of the most legendary names in Islay whisky — mothballed in 1983, its 1970s and early-80s bottlings became some of the most collectable Scotch ever. Diageo reopened the rebuilt distillery in 2024 with new stills running alongside a restoration of the original buildings; new-make spirit is now quietly maturing for future releases.
Location
Port Ellen, Isle of Islay, PA42 7BP
View on map →Other islay distilleries
Lagavulin
Iconic Islay distillery on the southern shore, Lagavulin produces some of the most intensely peated, deeply maritime whisky in Scotland. The 16 Year Old is a benchmark Islay dram.
Bruichladdich
Islay’s self-styled progressive distillery produces unpeated (Laddie), heavily peated (Port Charlotte) and super-heavily peated (Octomore) spirit on the same site. Terroir-obsessed and determinedly independent-minded.
Laphroaig
The most polarising of the Islay distilleries — enormously peated, heavy on iodine and TCP notes. Laphroaig is Marmite whisky, and that’s exactly how its fans want it.