Bruichladdich Port Charlotte Islay Barley Heavily Peated Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
100 Proof
Price Point: $60 – $70 for 750 ML
Distiller: Bruichladdich Distillery
Background
I’m a big fan of the Bruichladdich Distillery. I have reviewed a couple of their whiskies, and have found myself impressed. However, to this point I have not had an opportunity to get my hands on one of their peated single malts. Octomore continues to elude me, but I was able to find Port Charlotte, and thus here we are…
Review
My first thought upon nosing Port Charlotte is that it seems like it belongs in the Ardbeg family. There is peat and smoke complemented by the briny, maritime terroir of Islay. Upon further inspection, I find Bruichladdich’s identity with the cereal-like malted barley notes shared with Rocks and Scottish Barley. This may (and should) sound off-putting, but I detect a little bit of manure on the nose. Overall, this is a big whisky at 50% as are all the Bruichladdich single malts.
Port Charlotte drinks hot (at first) at 100 proof, but it’s certainly manageable. There’s big peat, followed by creamy vanilla and apples. There’s also some pine and/or mint, with salt and brine similar to many of the Islay whiskies I have reviewed. Port Charlotte exhibits charred oak and a little spicy pepper on the tail end of the palate.
There’s vanilla bean on the lengthy/tasty finish.
Rating & Recommendations
Bruichladdich Port Charlotte earns a rating of 84 out of 100 from me.
This is another solid offering from the Bruichladdich line-up, although I think I prefer the unpeated variety. I’m not convinced that Port Charlotte is the best value for the money when other, similar peated Islay single malts are available at lower price points.
-Ryan