Review #: 265
Description: Port Charlotte Islay Barley 2011
Spirit: Scotch
Background: Coming from Bruichladdich’s Heavily Peated line, Port Charlotte Islay Barley is distilled entirely from barley grown on the island. This edition was distilled in 2011, the barley was grown on the Dunlossit, Kilchiaran, and Sunderland Farms of the Oxbridge and Publican varietal. It was aged 7 years with a cask combination of 75% first fill American Whiskey casks and 25% second fill Syrah and Figero wine casks. No chillfiltration nor coloring and Islay spring water used to bottle. The nerd in me loves all the information they provide with these releases but let’s see how the whisky actually tastes.
Distillery – Bruichladdich
Bottler – Bruichladdich
Brand – Port Charlotte
Selection – N/A
ABV – 50%
Age – 7 Years
Nose – Campfire smoke, chocolate, lemon custard, sweet apple cider, lavender, almond, some toasted oak comes through behind the smoke as well
Taste – Sweet vanilla, salted caramel, orange oil, sweet cream, lemonade. Oily and coating mouthfeel.
Finish – Smoke gets ashier and dirtier and starts to dry out the tongue, sea salt, nice oak structure but almost burnt matchstick quality to it
Score: 7
Would I buy a bottle? Around $80 MSRP, I think so
Thoughts: This was a really enjoyable pour. I’m not sure whether I can equate the sweet fruit and some of the notes on the nose to the wine casks or dare I use the “t” word with the barley, but it was a fun dimension to it. The taste was sweet but still balanced, and then the finish was tons of dirty ash and peat. Exactly what you want as a peathead, but maybe too close to an ashtray if you aren’t.