Table Of Contents
The Details
| Rating | 92 |
| Style |
Scotch Whiskey |
| Produced In | Scotland |
| ABV | 54.3% |
| Availability | Limited |
| Price | $199.99 |
| Reviewed By | |
| Review Updated | 2024-04-15 |
Port Charlotte 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review
Bruichladdich Distillery currently offers three main product lines that span the spectrum of peat influence. The producer’s namesake Bruichladdich releases are completely unpeated (though still carry plenty of Islay-influenced flavor). The ultra-heavily peated Octomore range is among the world’s most heavily peated line of whiskies. And Port Charlotte lies somewhere in between, a “heavily” (but not ultra-heavily) peated Scotch series that intends to be a fastball down the middle as opposed to a curveball in either direction.
Today, we’re looking at the oldest-ever release in the Port Charlotte line, an 18-year-old, limited release Islay Scotch. Port Charlotte 18 Year was matured in a combination of refill sherry casks (74 percent) and refill French oak wine casks (26 percent). The single malt is made with 100 percent Scottish barley and spent the entirety of its aging life on Islay.
A few more details for the number crunchers. Port Charlotte 18 is bottled at a sturdy 54.3 percent ABV, and it’s un-chill filtered with no added coloring. And if you’re curious about that peat influence, this expression measures at 40 PPM. (Virtually all releases in the Octomore line tick above 100 PPM.)
Can the latest (and eldest) Port Charlotte Scotch hit that ideal middle ground, with enough peat to satisfy Islay aficionados? Let’s dive in.
Port Charlotte 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch: Price and Availability
This 18-year-old version of Port Charlotte is a decidedly limited release, with around 6,000 bottles total heading to retailers in the first half of 2024. (The brand hasn’t divulged whether it intends to make this an annual expression.) It retails for a suggested $200. Though this is certainly a limited expression — and some Bruichladdich Distillery fans may clamor for it — as of this writing, it’s very much accessible via some online retailers and in major U.S. markets. I expect the price to steadily creep up if indeed this is a one-off release. At the same time, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Bruichladdich drop another batch in early 2025.
Port Charlotte 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Review
As with all of VinePair’s whisky reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.
Nose
The nose starts with an immediate hit of peat, though milder and more savory (rather than smoky) compared to the distillery’s recent Octomore releases; it’s heavy on mesquite and hickory. A strong peat element quickly subsides, and a variety of fruit scents emerge: baked apples and plums, red grapes, apricot, and guava.
Those aromas waft out of the glass and alternate evenly between baked cobbler and freshly sliced tropical fruits. Mixing refill sherry and wine cask finishes has certainly diversified the fruit fragrances.
The interplay between peat and fruit is the real star here, and while the nose evolves in the glass, that light tug-of-war never really ceases. Rather, additional elements become gradually more detectable without pushing anything else out of line. Hot cereal, pine sap, birch bark, and furniture polish bring light-but-not-overpowering astringency.
Light salinity comes through at the very end, paired with additional simple syrup sweetness. While I would welcome more complexity in the realm of sweetness, it’s an appropriate cap on a nose that frankly seems to accomplish what this heavily peated expression is aiming to do.
Taste
While sweetness on the nose ended up a bit one-note, there’s significantly more intricacy on the palate. The first taste is vanilla shortbread, followed soon thereafter by fire-roasted marshmallow, graham cracker, and very (very) dark chocolate. That first-charred sugar never quite disappears at any point on the palate. S’mores, anyone?
Sweetness and baking spice rule the early palate, but fruit takes the lead thereafter, with thin layers of raspberry jam and cranberry sauce adding a touch of welcome tartness.
A few sips in, and I’m immediately glad this was bottled at cask strength. The 54.3 percent ABV carries a rich mouthfeel that — while not viscous enough to be called syrupy — lingers across the palate in virtually all the right places.
As the whisky continues to oxidize in the glass, jammy fruit transitions to tart green apple with cinnamon and allspice on the midpalate. After that, salinity and wood smoke return, this time paired with a small amount of papaya and pineapple.
There’s both less oak and more fruit than I expected before sampling this 18-year-old Islay Scotch.
One last point on taste, with a quick disclaimer: It’s not a noticeably imbalanced palate. Yet I can’t help but wonder if aging a small portion of the blend in ex-bourbon casks could have helped foster more influence from the wood.
Finish
This Islay Scotch is at its spiciest during the first segment of long finish, with cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg leading the handoff from the tongue. That spice quickly dissipates to oak-forward sweetness — reminiscent of barrel-aged maple syrup — and lemon peel. After nearly a full minute, the wood sugars and citrus finally fade, leaving traces of peat smoke in their wake.
Port Charlotte 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Rating
92/100
Recap
Port Charlotte’s oldest-ever bottling adeptly walks the lines between smoke and fruit, sweet and peat. Yet I couldn’t help but search for more straightforward oak influence among the robust fruits from both the sherry and wine refill casks.
Bruichladdich fans should be pleased with a release that splits the difference between unpeated and drinking whisky reminiscent of the bog itself. Those newer to peated expressions may want to start with something even milder. This bottling will really shine among drinkers with broad-ranging palates, especially those hoping for something that isn’t afraid to embrace two very different elements along the flavor spectrum. It’s a ride, to be sure.
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