In the world of single malt scotch there is perhaps no name so venerated as Port Ellen. The whisky produced at the legendary Islay distillery ages alongside the sea, collecting a briny, oily flavor profile that only seems to amplify with age. And because it was shuttered for some 40 yearsthe precious stock that remains is exceedingly old…and frustratingly rare. Bottlings from its warehouses have today slowed down to a trickle, with each subsequent release guaranteed to command a colossal sum.

The latest example arrives this month, just in time to celebrate the distillery’s bicentennial. Port Ellen 200th Anniversary Edition is a 42-year-old single malt that also marks the first limited edition from the malt maker since reopening last year — after a four-decade-long pause in production. Depending on how deep your pockets are, the dram is either an angelic blessing or a devilish tease: It will set you back some $10,000 a bottle — and it’s not like you can just waddle down to your local liquor store to collect one.

It’s a touch more complicated than that. Nevertheless, we know how you can score this latest batch of unobtainium, and what you can expect to taste if you’re lucky enough to uncork some.

Beginning in October, the Port Ellen 200th Anniversary Edition is available for purchase at the distillery’s Hebridean Isle home by appointment. You can make an inquiry with the brand’s private client team in Scotland by clicking here. But you might want to act fast — because after 42 years maturing in a cask of European oak, only 150 bottles-worth of Scotch was left for the world. There won’t ever be any more of it once that sells out.

Master blender Aimée Morrison describes the 112.8-ABV liquid as “a wonderful expression which embodies the essence of Port Ellen. The whisky balances Port Ellen’s famed smoke with notes of berries, red apple skin, and caramelized brown sugar.”

Beyond this new release, Port Ellen is now home to one of Scotland’s most stunning visitor centers. Throughout the month, the Islay attraction will be commemorating its 200th anniversary by offering exclusive tasting experiences, including historic cask draws, samples of rare First & last releases, and, yes, a tiny tipple of this 42-year-old belter.

Indeed, despite two centuries’ worth of proud past, Port Ellen’s most exciting moments might lie in the days, years, and decades ahead. Later in October, the distillery will send its oldest bottling ever to auction. Port Ellen Prism is a magnum-sized decanter of 46-year-old liquid that is expected to sell for over $400,000 at the Distillers One of One Charity Auctionhosted by Sotheby’s.

The showpiece for that bottling is, as you might suspect, a veritable work of art; a crystal scepter seated in a radiant glass sculpture, designed by artist Wilfried Grootens. It takes whisky presentation to another level, following the already impressive geometric encasement used for Port Ellen’s 2024 Gemini Release. Clearly, the brand has a penchant for visual splendor, as it continues to commission artworks and installations for its home place, including new work by celebrated designer Ini Archibong.

Given this stunning backdrop, perhaps one of the most remarkable aspects of the Port Ellen 200th Anniversary Edition is something it lacks. The copper-toned liquid sits in a fairly pedestrian bottle — the same size and shape template you’d recognize from any of its sister brands, including Lagavulin, Caol Ila, and Talisker. Described as a “pared back aesthetic,” it helps remind even the most cynical of sippers that great Scotch, itself, is a work of art.