Review by: Raygun

Got this as a sample from Whiskery Turnip. Rested about 10 minutes.

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Distillery: Bruichladdich Port Charlotte

Bottler: Dramfool

Region: Islay

ABV: 61.6%. Cask strength.

Age: 13 years. Distilled in 2009. Bottled in 2022.

Cask type: Martinique rum barrel

Price: ??

Color: 0.5 yellow gold. Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.

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Nose: Quite ashy. Pretty alcoholic, too. Some fruit behind that. Orange and a little pineapple. Custard. Some grilled shrimp.

Palate: Nose was a little closed, but there’s a lot more going on here. Water helps bring it out. Lots of smoke. Orange creamsicle and ripe plantains. Lime pannacotta. There’s something kind of herbal there, too, along the lines of fennel or tarragon.

Finish: Smoke recedes some. Gets sweeter here, in a sugarcane kind of way. Has some of the orange flavor, but faded. Lime sorbet comes out more. More one-dimensionally sweet. And smoky. Two dimensions, I guess. Water again helps develop it. More citrus and custard.

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Conclusion:

Water made a big difference here. It was pretty closed off and presented much better with some water. Would have made for an interesting comparison with the rum cask Ledaig I finished a few weeks ago. That was more savory as I recall. This has more custard. Pretty close, but from memory I think I liked the Ledaig a little better. I am definitely enjoying this one, now that I’ve found the sweet spot with water. 

Buy a bottle? At the right price, sure.

Final Score: 83.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky. (Convalmore 36)
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1)
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Ledaig 13 Amontillado)
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Tomatin 18)
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Glen Scotia 15)
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Aultmore 12)
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Glenmorangie 10)
• 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Pulteney 12)
• 0-49: Blech. (Muirhead’s Silver Seal 16)