Port Charlotte Scottish Barley

I ordered this bottle from KLwines because the Port Charlotte 10 was out.

Nose: Hint of Buttery Lemon Scones, peaty, nutty, dash of white pepper, red chili, iodine notes, slightly herbal like The Laddie 10

Palate: First taste is the peat and maritime notes, buttery lemon scones, nutty, bitter-sweet notes move throughout the dram, slightly herbal, touch of cocoa, dash of pepper and crushed chili.

Finish: The peat is more noticeable now, with graphite coming to the fore and the peat retreating slightly, to be taken over by the herbal notes and peanuts.

An odd Islay to be sure, do i love it yes it is refreshingly different. The peat is not the key flavor note of the dram instead you get the perfect marriage of Bruichladdich and peat. Reminds me of the time I added 2 teaspoons of Ardbeg to Bruichladdich 10.

This Port Charlotte was presented by Allan Logan at the Spirits in the Sky festival during his Bruichladdich Masterclass. It is Heavily Peated (40ppm) and distilled from 100% Scottish barley. It did not get an age statement as it is composed from different vintages by their famous Master Distiller Jim McEwan.

Very assertive nose with loads of grain and (of course) peat. Then some black pepper, paprika and clear touches of charred oak. Cigar box. Walnuts. Loads of vanilla. Only then a dying bonfire on the beach with toffee and pears. Iodine and sea air make us wait, but eventually sign in. Different, but very good.

It is oily on the palate. Smoky, sure, but mostly sweet. Think barley, citrus, soft oak and toffee apples with a salty edge. Not as PC than I am used to from PC, savvy? The lemon zest at the end keeps it fresh.

The finish is medium long and a good continuation of the palate.

Absolutely good Port Charlotte, but the odd one out if you ask me. Sweeter and more accessible than its brother.

Some distilleries tend to put an emphasis on barley, and Bruichladdich is one of them. I don’t know why this trend isn’t more widespread within the whisky industry, but it certainly should be. I love that Bruichladdich advertises some of its products based on their selection of barley. I’ve yet to try the Islay Barley release, so I’ll start with the PC Scottish Barley, which is “heavily peated” at 40 ppm. The packaging even goes so far as to mention of a specific farm from which some of the barley was bought. I don’t know the percentages or details, and I don’t really care. I don’t make the stuff, but I do appreciate the fact that it is advertised as domestic barley of a certain quality. Their website touts “raw ingredients matter.” Well said.

Nose: Peat and cereal. Nice, bold smokiness. Fresh barley, big hay, wet grass, vanilla, light honey, apples, pears, peach, citrus rind, ginger, and something like ginseng. A bit of alcoholic bite, reminding us of the healthy 50% abv. Youthful and vibrant.

Palate: An ashy/medicinal greeting that is quickly tempered by a lovely honey note. The smoke here is strong and intense. Coastal spices come in next. Big salt and white pepper.

Finish: Strong, bold smoke that is both delicious and consistent. Bacon, ash, charred oak, and honey round it out. Salt, cereal, fuzzy peach candy and faint pear linger.

This is a fun cracker of a whisky. The cereal notes stand out, with a lovely barley flavour that could only be Bruichladdich. The intensity is reminiscent of the Laph 10. I also like the vibrant coastal notes, which are evocative of OP12. That peach candy note is interesting too, although I can’t think of another whisky to compare it to. These things all combine to give us quite a distinctive and lively whisky that’s definitely a solid addition to the cabinet. A precocious and brazen little Islay rascal.