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Port Charlotte An Turas Mor Review

Aug 122012

Port Charlotte An Turas Mor

46% abv

Score: 86.5/100

This is actually a tough one for me. I adore Port Charlotte in all its tongue scalding peat-infused cask strength glory. The first time PC6 melted my face I thought I had died and gone to heaven (or hell…pretty sure that toasty little locale will be more to my liking anyway). PC5, PC7 and PC8 were all delectible little fireballs in their own right.

So why then, with a new Port Charlotte in my glass, am I suggesting this is a tough one? Quite simply because it has been gelded.

I want to be explicitly clear here. This is still a damn fine drink. It has all the characteristics that make Port Charlotte infinitely enjoyable. It is peaty and smoky…buttery, citric and salty…carries a bit of youthful fruit and a load of licorice. And too…it practically screams Islay. The problem is…I have a punching bag of a palate. I love bold strokes of flavor and rich depths in what I consume; be it food, coffee, beer, wine or whisky. I taste this PC and can’t help but compare it to the big guns in the range.

Having said all of that…for those that take a little more civility in the glass, while still embracing the stormy ferocity of Islay malts…this one is a gooder.

Farmy notes of cowsheds. Iodine. Peat and smoke. Faintly buttery and vaguely medicinal. A ghostly trace of mixed berry. Lemon. Licorice. Barley. Swirl gently and…voila!

If you can find (and afford) the cask strength vintages in the PC family, I would nudge you in that direction. If not…you’re still in for a treat with this one.

- Reviewed by: Curt

- Photo: Curt

Port Charlotte PC5 Review

Bruichladdich, Port Charlotte No Responses »

Mar 112012

Port Charlotte PC5

63.5 % abv

Score: 92/100

Here it is. This is where the legacy begins. Though the Port Charlotte distillery is still (at the time of writing) a far off dream, Bruichladdich has been distilling an enormous, heavily-peated dram under the name of Port Charlotte for a few years now. The first release, at five years old, is quite logically called PC5. In this, its youngest incarnation, it shows a little more of the naked new-make spirit than in its successors. This is quite enlightening for the Port Charlotte enthusiast, as even by the following 6 year old release (yep…PC6), it has moved a decent way along the path to maturity.

I won’t delve too deeply into the history of the Port Charlotte distillery here, so hopefully a few quick details will suffice. It was originally in operation under the name Lochindaal Distillery, so titled for the loch on whose rocky shores is nestled the wonderful homey little village of Port Charlotte. Sadly, in 1929, during the zealous age of prohibition, the distillery was closed. Now…more than 80 years on, plans are on the backburner for the fine folk at Bruichladdich to pull a Willy Wonka and re-open this magic factory.

The logical first question would be, “well…will this be the same whisky as that produced on this site generations ago?” The answer is a resounding…”we don’t really know”. The last known bottle of malt from the Lochindaal Distillery became memory almost 50 years ago.

Regardless…where that questions remains unanswered, the follow-up, “is this new Port Charlotte any good?” is an easy one to address.

The answer is yes. Quite simply, this is bloody brilliant whisky. Unlike any other and certainly not soon to be forgotten. Reviews of PC5 through PC8 will all be posted in the coming days, so do have a read to follow this whisky through maturation, but in the meantime let’s get back to the bottle at hand.

Make no mistake, this is a young whisky. It is sharp and jagged, rough and tough. It bears a little more fruit and seems slightly less buttery than its elder siblings, but certainly still carries the Bruichladdich signature.

The nose is explosive and overstuffed to near-bursting. Don’t get too close here…you’ll burn out your senses with too deep a first sniff. Its heavy handed billows of peat and smoke are met with the aggression of black licorice and a green thistle bite. As I said, you’ll likely still be able to pick up traces of the new-make character (if you’ve ever sampled new-make) and a vibrant fruitiness, both of which mellow in subsequent releases. Light dollops of chocolate and a bit of apple round this out in a smoother manor.

The palate is prickly as hell. Baby steps…small sips encouraged. Here you’ll get (or I did anyway) some tarry notes, sharp greens and a bit of buttery caramel. Wow, is this big! The lingering notes that finish this one are typical of the big bold peated Islay malts…tart green apple skins. Smoked apple skins, that is.

Surprisingly I find this one has some similarity to cask strength Caol Ila, moreso than its Bruichladdich brethren. Odd. Finally, in terms of balance, this isn’t quite as stable as PC6, PC7 or PC8, but please do NOT take that as a criticism. Balance is not the be all, end all. This one is probably second only to the PC6 in my books.

Can hardly wait to try this at older vintages. If you can still find it…BUY IT.

- Reviewed by: Curt

- Photo: Curt

Port Charlotte PC6 Review

Bruichladdich, Port Charlotte No Responses »

Mar 112012

Port Charlotte PC6

61.6% abv

Score: 93/100

Bruichladdich’s rebirth under the guiding hands of Jim McEwan has been the thing of whisky legend. This renaissance will be looked back on in years to come as a thing of magnificence. The old Bruichladdich distillery, originally founded in 1881 and oft moth-balled, was reopened under the watchful gaze of Murray McDavid in 2000. After a lengthy career at neighboring Bowmore, Jim McEwan was hired on as Master Distiller, and has taken this distillery to new heights.

Port Charlotte PC6 is a heavily-peated whisky at 40ppm (most reliable number I have read), though it seems even bigger. At one of our unofficial ‘tastings’, three Bruichladdich bottles were lined up in a vertical tasting. These three were PC6, Brunello Cask and the second edition of Octomore. The Brunello, though a respectable 49%, couldn’t hold a candle to the other two, of course. Though the Octomore is the world’s most heavily-peated whisky at 140ppm, the PC6 was not overwhelmed at all. Impressive in and of itself.

PC6 is another of Bruichladdich’s young gems. Matured in American bourbon and French Madeira casks it has been bottled at a mere 6 years old. As I have mentioned before, I believe the big peats benefit from younger bottling. The peat is still raw and edgy and has not had time to mellow in the cask. Those of us who like to punish our tastebuds (why not? We’re already kicking the hell out of our livers) with huge flavors should love this.

On top of the bog influence, I must note that this is an absolute monster at 61.1%. You will be more than safe adding water if that is your preference. I would suggest, as with all whiskies, pour a glass and let it rest. This one needs time to open up. The delivery is well worth it.

Wave after wave of peat and smoke assail the senses. Surprisingly, these are equally met with that typical Bruichladdich buttery character. Rich and caramel sweet married to a huge blast of Islay magic. This is mind-blowingly unique and wonderful. Salty and medicinal, it has that tangy citric note that accompanies most of the peated whiskies as well. There is a deep dark éclair flavor to it. Also hints of bacon and maple.

A whisky this massive can be nothing less than a monster in the mouth as well. It ladles out all of the notes above, with emphasis on butterscotch, citrus and smoke, in a thick mouth coating heat. The burn is welcomed with open arms, and the finish is a smoldering hug that never lets go. You will be tasting this for hours.

I can not wait to sample the PC7 and PC8 now.

- Reviewed by: Curt

- Photo: Curt