Port Charlotte An Turas Mor

Mr ralfy.com reviewed this a quite while back stating it was a whisky for a more advanced pallet with a budget. I think that is the perfect description, this is an interesting and somewhat challenging whisky which ive been told is a vatting of the PC7 and PC8. Here are my notes

• Nose: mustard seed, smoked ham and vintage cheddar, pears and apples with coastal notes and sooty peat. With water lots of continuation from the nose, but now there is a real BBQ character to the whisky also more of a wet hay thing going on.

• Pallet: oily and kind of prickly mouth feel, more of the cheddar and ham from the nose, there is also some nice peat, chili and a bit of a grain whisky note going on. Tasted neat it’s, hot and nippy. With water citrus really comes through as does some honey which dampens some of the flavours nicely.

• Finish: a pretty strange (and good combination) of green apple, dark chocolate and sooty cold smoke. With water much the same but more green apple

• Mark neat – 8.6, with water 8.7

I wouldnt recommend this for a beginner, and it may be too advanced for me, but i enjoyed it none-the-less and given its price of ~105AUD its bloddy good value.

This is one of the first NAS single malts I have tried. It was recommended to me as a peaty, smoky, intense scotch that I would probably go crazy for. The smoky smell was immediately FAR more intense that what I was expecting. It punched me in the sinuses with ultra-spicy smoke, and afterwards, a bit of peat and a campfire. Unlike some other scotches like this, it didn't have much of a smell beyond this. The palate was beautifully warm and spicy, and it didn't have the "coldness" of Talisker- it was like a sunny day, maybe even an especially hot day at sea.
But again- not much taste beyond this initial feeling. It was definitely good, and suitably intense, but many of the scotches I admire pull back their assault to reveal a more complex, mysterious character, while this was more of an (admittedly exciting) assault on the senses. This could be the norm for NAS malts, next up for me might be the Bowmore Legend. With this one, try it before you buy it. :)

An Turas Mor is Gaelic for ‘The Great Journey’ with which the makers refer to the coming of age of this malt, i.e. the journey towards 10 years old. This release from 2010 differs significantly from previous and subsequent releases. First, it is a multi-vintage blend (sources claim they did not have enough 9 Year Old PC to bottle at the time) and second, it is not bottled at cask strength.

The nose is very coastal, as if the briny sea water is spayed into your face. Soft peat. Soft are also the hints of vanilla and apples. Some blue cheese and stale beer. The predominant aromas, however, are stable and wet hay.

The palate is somewhat oily and feisty, with mostly dry peat and sea salt. Some fruit, but that remains in the background. Olive oil and even a hint of tar.

The medium long finish is smoky with quite a sweet twist. The bourbon cask rears its head primarily in the finish.

Port Charlotte is for peatfreaks. This one is very quaffable and affordable (about 42 EUR).

After tasting some Islay-like blends I was eager to try something really Islay. So I went to liquor store to get a bottle of Islay malt. I was advised to take Port Charlotte An Turas Mor. Boy, was I not disappointed!

Nose is more striking than the Prophecy with plenty of iodine and peat flavour. Some sweetness. Flavours are rich with a touch of bitterness and lemon rind. Finish returns to the start with a touch of peat.

An Turas Mor is the latest release from Bruichladdich’s Port Charlotte line of Scotch malt whisky, one of two alternative brands produced by the distillery (the other being the heavily peated Octomore). Unlike previous releases of Port Charlotte, An Turas Mor is a “multi-vintage” release, apparently because Bruichladdich lacked a sufficient amount of 9 year-old Port Charlotte—the previous releases having run sequentially from 5 to 8 years of age—for the subsequent age statement. And, also unlike previous Port Charlotte releases, An Turas Mor is bottled at 46% rather than at cask strength.

The nose is spectacularly coastal, much like diving into fresh (rather than stale) salt water. There are big, beautiful notes of sea air, gentle peat, vanilla, applewood smoked cheddar, and tar.

On the palate, it is again briskly coastal, as if one has taken a gulp of light, crisp, fresh salt water. There is also marshmallow, vanilla, iodine, tar, and olive brine. The finish imparts a considerable bourbon cask influence along with smoked cheddar. All in all, it is a uniquely refreshing experience.

Nose: Victorian London, all sooty smoke, smoggy, with an assortment of aromas from stale fish and over ripe fruit to cooking fires. Palate: Sweet at first, balanced and easy with gooseberries poached in cream, then the trademark smoke and peat but not as fierce and aggressive as in the past. You're expecting Jack The Ripper, you get the Artful Dodger. Get over it though, because it's a beauty. Finish: Peat, pear and fgreen fruit, in an enjoyable but pussy cat finish.

the above are dominic's notes, this is in our regions of scotland tasting. The score is the current club average.

Other comments: "Despite lacking the mega PC kick of the previous PCs, on the taste this has a long, full on peat finish which has the true peat chili type magnifying effect. This is an excellent whisky, I want to put it head to head with Ardbeg 10 (thats how much I like it). I think this is an excellent development and expect to have this in on a regular basis. "

"This reminds me a of a peated Bunnahabhain. It's not like an Ardbeg or a Laphroaig, where you can tell the identity of the distillery from the underlying signature of the spirit but it's very good and well worth the price."