Port Charlotte is a name we don’t see too often, but releases always tend to attract the interest of peatheads. As you know, this peated spirit is distilled at Bruichladdich distillery.

Malts of Scotland released a first Port Charlotte 2001 (sherry cask #829) in March 2009 and now there are two new versions: a bourbon barrel (cask #967) and a sherry hogshead (cask #833).

Port Charlotte 9 yo 2001 (60,2%, Malts of Scotland 2010, bourbon cask #967)

Nose: very peaty. The smokiness is quite fragrant with whiffs of lemon. There’s kind of a synthetic fruitiness to it as well (banana, lovely tangerine). Rather oily. Some grassy notes. The marine side is quite distinct, with boat rope and dry kelp. Clean and relatively complex, especially after you add a few drops of water. It then shows almonds and vanilla and I’m even more surprised how fragrant and “feminine” the peat is. Mouth: quite hot. An overdose of peat with sugar candy, engine oil and desinfectant. Gets drier and quite bitter after a while (hints of tonic). Water helps to add fruitiness and overcome the bitter notes. Finish: very long, very ashy and quite sweet.

Don’t try this if you don’t like deep peat. But if you do, this is very clean and focused with excellent complexity. Play around with water to get the most out of it. Around € 65.

Score: 87/100