Duncan Taylor Bruichladdich (Port Charlotte) 12 Year Review

Distilled by Bruichladdich

Bottled: by Duncan Taylor
Region: Islay
Type: Single Malt
ABV: 56%
Age: 12 yrs
Color: dark gold

There are many independent bottlers out there which scour distilleries all over Scotland for unique casks to bottle and release at cask strength.

Duncan Taylor is one such IB that has not only released casks from most distilleries in Scotland, but is also extremely transparent about all of the information about that cask on the front label.

The bottle I’m reviewing today comes from Bruichladdich’s Port Charlotte line.

It is a peated whisky distilled in 2003 and aged in a single bourbon hogshead for 12 years before being bottled in September 2016. Duncan Taylor, like most IB’s, bottles their whisky with neither chill filtration nor added coloring.

Tasting Notes

Nose: A bruiser of a nose that begins with a heavy hit of cherry-flavored antiseptic throat spray and campfire smoke followed by smoked cheeses, grilled meats and some clove to give it a bit of spicy character.

Fruity notes of cooked mango and rotten papayas can also be found.

Palate: Thick and oily mouthfeel with a strong, savory fish oil note that turns to savory sweet salted toffee. Wood spice, lemon zest, vanilla and more of that delightfully offensive throat spray note from the nose also translate to my tastebuds.

Finish: A long finish with soot and smoke that fades into a mix of more clove spice and fish oil and continues on to fresh baked spice cake with just a touch of ripe fruit and barrel char.

Rating: 9/10, Excellent

Conclusion: This is fantastic whisky! It’s always a treat when an independent bottler can offer something different from what you get from the distillery’s standard offerings.

This bottle takes all of my favorite parts of Port Charlotte but brings additional medicinal, savory and spicy notes that gives the whisky a different dimension that I absolutely love. If you haven’t dabbled in Independent bottlings, I encourage you to give them a try!

Rating Description

1 Undrinkable
2 Bad
3 Poor
4 Below Average
5 Average
6 Above Average
7 Very Good
8 Great
9 Excellent
10 Perfect