Review #: 268
Description: Port Charlotte SYC:02 2009
Spirit: Scotch
Background: Another bottle from the Bruichladdich “Distillery Valinch” series, this single malt was distilled in 2009 and aged for 11 years in a 2nd fill Syrah Hogshead. Syrah is also known as shiraz, a dark grape used for red wines. This was bottled at cask strength, natural coloring, and no chilfilitration so let’s see how the whisky tastes.
Distillery – Bruichladdich
Bottler – Bruichladdich
Brand – Port Charlotte
Selection – N/A
ABV – 61.8%
Age – 11 Years
Nose – Lots of smokey dark fruits: plums, red apples, raisins, almost an agave like vegetal note, almond extract, black pepper, ethanol shows itself and is pretty sharp across the nose.
Taste – Very oily and syrupy, molasses, dates, vanilla, cooked apples. It’s sweet but in a dark way, if that makes sense. Not bright or fruity or sugary, but rich and earthy sweetness
Finish – Peat comes in very dirty and ashy, black pepper, burnt sugar, sea salt
Score: 7
Would I buy a bottle? I don’t think so
Thoughts: This was super interesting and different. Almost had several different types of spirits in there with the agave, bourbon, and rum like notes. The finish is aggressively peaty. You almost could have told me this was an Octomore though didn’t quite feel as well rounded as the other brand. While I liked it, getting a bottle at this stage would be expensive and it’s hard to imagine reaching for this often. It’s a moody whisky itself that you need to be prepared for.