Port Charlotte is a heavily peated single malt produced since 2001 at Bruichladdich distillery. It has been one of Bruichladdich's more successful ventures since reopening as it has met with almost universal praise since appearing in various official and independent expressions. Produced, like Bruichladdich and Octomore, with a traditional double distillation regime, its difference lies in the peating level, it is peated to around 40ppm. Port Charlotte has so far been filled into a variety of cask types, mainly ex-Buffalo Trace fresh bourbon barrels but also a variety of different wine casks and, most notably, the tiny, hyper-active sherry casks known as 'bloodtubs'.

Flavours.

Port Charlotte has been bottled annually in an official form since 2006 when it was five years old. These annual releases have been exceptionally popular but it is the independent expressions that have shown the most flair and attracted the most attention. Port Charlotte's typical characters are a thick, oily peat flavour with further notes of green and white fruits with lots of smaller complexities like minerals, metallic notes and plenty coastal and subtle medicinal aspects as well.

Port Charlotte shines particularly well in sherry, many of the young Bloodtub bottlings that have appeared have been utterly stunning and are well worth seeking out if you can find a bottle. It matures a little slower in bourbon but still displays wonderful old school characteristics and complexities. As with its bigger brother Octomore it should be a fascinating whisky to watch evolve in the coming years and hopefully these phenomenal sherried expressions will continue to appear. Proof above all else that, despite all the nonsense, the new owners of Bruichladdich do really know how to make a good whisky when they want to.