Diageo has unveiled what may be the most important Port Ellen bottling of the modern era: Port Ellen Prism, a 46-year-old Islay single malt whisky crafted to mark the distillery’s 200th anniversary. The one-of-a-kind release has been donated to the Distillers One of One 2025 auction, where it is expected to fetch between $200,000 and $400,000 when the gavel falls at Hopetoun House, near Edinburgh, on October 10.
Port Ellen Prism: A Bicentenary Whisky Like No Other
Distilled in 1978 and aged first in refill hogsheads before a long finishing stretch of over ten years in a refill American oak puncheon, Prism represents the oldest Port Ellen ever bottled. The whisky has been described by master blender Aimée Morrison as a kaleidoscope of “currants, berries, and chocolate, laced with smoke from the core, and lifted by spices, cinder toffee, and a lingering sea breeze.”
Artistic Presentation by Wilfried Grootens
The presentation underscores the rarity. The whisky is housed in a single 1.5-litre decanter created by Radley’s scientific glassmakers, itself encased within a sculptural glasswork by German artist Wilfried Grootens. Layered panes of hand-painted glass create a three-dimensional image that shifts as it moves, meant to embody the elusive character of Islay smoke—something seen as much as tasted.
Julie Bramham, managing director of Diageo Luxury, called the bottling “a unique and smoky single malt liquid, marking the whisky’s 200th anniversary,” and underscored the importance of the donation. The auction, run in partnership with Sotheby’s, raises funds for The Distillers’ Charity and its Youth Action Fund, which supports disadvantaged young people across Scotland.
Port Ellen’s Revival and The Atlas of Smoke
For the winning bidder, ownership of the bottle is only part of the prize. The lot includes a private trip for four to Port Ellen, where Diageo has recently revived the long-closed distillery after forty years of silence. Guests will embark on a bespoke “Atlas of Smoke” tour, a project of experimentation and sensory exploration that has begun to define Port Ellen’s new era.
Prism is the first of two commemorative bicentenary releases, with a second expected later this year. Together, they signal both a reverence for Port Ellen’s history and its intent to redefine the frontier of smoky single malt.
With bidding set to open September 15, the whisky world will be watching closely to see just how high the numbers climb for this luminous tribute to Islay’s past and future.
For more information, head over to the distillery’s official website or learn more about the auction.
Last year, the distillery unveiled the 44-year-old Port Ellen Gemini.
