Distilled & bottled by Bruichladdich
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Region: Islay
Type: Single malt
ABV: 50%
Age: 10yrs
Color: gold
Bruichladdich’s less expensive peated offering, Port Charlotte, is peated to roughly 40ppm and aged for at least 10 years in a combination of first fill bourbon (65%), second fill bourbon (10%) & second fill French wine casks (25%).
As with all of Bruichladdich’s offerings, this whisky is bottled without added coloring or chill filtration.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Despite it’s “heavily peated” appellation, I find the smoke is subtle on the nose and is accompanied by only a hint medicinal character.
I detect a touch of earthy minerality and a whiff of maritime seaweed, but what isn’t subtle are the sweet notes; there’s a heavily salted caramel candy surrounded by scads of red, ripe fruits that dominate this overall pleasant nose.
Palate: A delicious and creamy mouthfeel begins with fresh coconut and vanilla bean before transitioning to ripe pears and peaches. The peat influence remains subtle and subdued.
Finish: Medium in length, the finish shows off this whisky’s heavily peated nature while maintaining the sweet, fruit forward forward character of the nose.
The palate is clouded out by a heavy fog of cigarette smoke and a maritime character driven by damp, salty seaweed.
Rating: 6/10, above average
Conclusion: This is a very solid whisky that marries nice flavors with a beautiful, creamy mouthfeel that stands out amongst its Islay peers.
Port Charlotte 10 isn’t as medicinal as Laphroaig or as meaty and smoky as Ardbeg, but that’s a good thing in my opinion. Instead, what you get is a fruitier peat offering that earns its place as an entry level Islay malt worthy of your consideration.
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