Port Charlotte 10 Year

Review by: The Muskox

This is the latest re-re-rebranding of Bruichladdich’s heavily peated range. I loved its multi-vintage predecessor, so how does this one stack up?

Distillery: Bruichladdich.

Bottler: Official bottling.

Region: Islay.

ABV: 50%.

Age: 10 years. Bottled in 2018.

Cask type: Mostly first-fill American whiskey casks, with some second-fill French wine casks and second-fill American whiskey casks.

Price: $85 CAD.

Color: Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.

Nose: Fresh, meaty and coastal. Iodine, Band-Aids, bacon, salt, seaweed and peat smoke. It’s definitely got that malty-yeasty Bruichladdich funk. Tart fresh fruit: pear, yellow plum, banana, clementine slices in syrup, a touch of cherry. Winey funk (I think that’s called ‘rancio’?) and stewed lemons. Fresh leather and green wood. Dark chocolate. Maple sap? Yes, I have actually tried that. Marshmallow after some time. Creamy cheese?

Palate: Oily texture. Apple and orange, into leather, peat, nori, and dark chocolate. Lots of dark chocolate throughout, actually. Buttered French bread right in the middle. Mineral, herbs, and tobacco. A touch of bitter oak. Brie cheese!! Baked brie, with puff pastry and nuts. Toasted marshmallow and vanilla. Earthy woodspice underneath, with fresh flowers floating on top.

Finish: Creamy. Sweeter notes start to emerge. Mocha. Black licorice and vanilla. It’s not too far off from the mulled white wine my buddy was dishing out at his holiday party last night. Mixed nuts and sesame seeds. More rich dark chocolate. Olive oil. Lingering dried apple slices, lemon and green tea.

Conclusion: Another quality product from Bruichladdich distillery. I love the balance between light and heavy flavours that Port Charlotte often nails. I was really impressed with the chocolate throughout. This is certainly a more mature malt than its predecessor, as much of the younger funky notes are either gone or rounded and deepened. Overall, I think it’s an improvement. That extra bit of cask influence is nice.

Final Score: 86.

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing.
  • 0-49: Blech.

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