As Port Ellen week continues here at Mark Littler Ltd, today we’re talking about the top 5 most expensive Port Ellen bottles ever sold at auction.
Despite the closure of the distillery in 1983, Port Ellen has continued to see success at auction having developed a cult following amongst whisky collectors. Port Ellen’s small production history has resulted in highly sought after whisky, reflected in the price tag of these bottles.
With that said, let’s find out which bottles were the most expensive at auction.
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The Top 5 Most Expensive Port Ellen bottles At Auction
- December 2020 Port Ellen 1980 Queen’s Visit £72,000
- January 2021 Port Ellen 12 Year Old James McArthur for Scoma £44,000
- November 2018 Port Ellen 38 Year Old £23,600
- November 2019 Port Ellen 40 Year Old Casks of Distinction #1883 £23,500
- January 2020 Port Ellen 15 Year Old G&M Intertrade Import £14,250
Claiming the title of most expensive Port Ellen whisky sold at auction is the 1980 Queen’s Visit, last sold in December 2020. This was the only official bottling of whisky that was released whilst Port Ellen was an active distillery, hence the accompanying price tag of £72,000. It is unknown how many of these bottles were produced – it is estimated that around 40 were produced for the Queen and her staff that accompanied her on the visit to the maltings – and so any coming up at auction are guaranteed to catch attention. The 1980 Queen’s Visit was also sold for £50,000 twice in August and September of 2018, and for £31,833 in March 2019.
Taking 2nd spot on this list is the Port Ellen 12 Year Old bottled by James McArthur & Co, which was bottled specifically for Scoma in Germany. It last sold in January 2021 for £44,000. This is one of the rarest, and therefore most sought after, bottlings of Port Ellen and its high quality has ensured its success at auction. The 12 Year Old also sold for £30,000 in February 2021 and £18,273 in March 2021.
In 3rd place is the Port Ellen 38 Year Old which was bottled exclusively for the 10th anniversary of The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show in 2018. It sold in a charity auction in November 2018 for £23,600. As this was the only bottle produced, its uniqueness attracted a high price at auction. Not only is it in our top 5 list, it was also in the top 5 items sold in the charity auction.
Our penultimate whisky is the Port Ellen 40 Year Old Cask #1883 from the Casks of Distinction series. This whisky was bottled in 2019 and sold in the same year for £23,500. As part of the Casks of Distinction series, cask #1883 was hand selected by whisky experts for its high quality as a single malt. With only 78 bottles produced from cask #1883, this whisky is incredibly rare and at 40 years old it is one of the oldest Port Ellen’s ever bottled. The Port Ellen 40 Year Old sold again in October 2020 for £18,100, December 2020 for £20,300, and January 2021 for £18,00.
Finally, taking the 5th spot in this top 5 most expensive list, is the Port Ellen 15 Year Old bottled by Gordon & MacPhail. The 15 Year Old was last sold in January 2020 for £14,250. This whisky was distilled in 1969 and bottled at cask strength in 1985 by G&M for Intertrade to be imported for the Italian market.
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Looking For Your Own Collectible Port Ellen?
If you would like to have your own collectible Port Ellen you don’t have to pay £72,000 for it. Why not take a look at our online shop where we currently have a Port Ellen 1983 21 Year Old Old Malt Cask for £1,420.
If you already have a bottle of Port Ellen and you would like advice about selling or valuing, send us an email at [email protected].