This Port Charlotte OLC:01 is a 2010 vintage produced from 100% Scottish barley.
It is a combination of first-fill and second-fill bourbon casks as well as VDN (Vin Doux Naturel) and Syrah casks, all vatted together and finished in first-fill Oloroso (seasoned) hogsheads from Bodega Fernando de Castilla for a period of 18 months.
Port Charlotte OLC:01 9 yo 2010 (55,1%, OB 2020, Oloroso hogshead finish, 30.000 btl.)
Nose: lovely nose, with a slightly farmy, smoky side that is slow to unfold. A great elegance as well. Sweet peat, alongside vanilla and red berries. Dried figs and toffee notes. Smoked apricots. Hints of cured meat, as well as coffee and light minty touches. The sweetness of the wine barrels works well with the sherry aromas and farmy peat. Quite lovely.
Mouth: oily, showing a sweet sherried side (tobacco, red berries, raisins) as well as a sharper side (pine needle, mint, earthy smoke) which I didn’t expect after the nose. The wine is clearly present (I love the dryness of the Oloroso) but we already knew Port Charlotte spirit can stand a good dose. Chocolate and espresso notes, slightly acrid smoke. Orange peel. Cigar boxes and some peppery oak.
Finish: quite long, fairly dry with plenty of ashy notes, cocoa and a growing mineral / coastal note.
Really good Port Charlotte. I love the balance and depth of the nose and while it doesn’t keep quite the same level on the palate, it’s still an excellent whisky. A wide release, but now harder to find, try The Whisky Barrel or Loch Fyne.