Port Charlotte Islay Barley 2011

I’d already had a half dram each of Bowmore 18 and Talisker 10. I’m watching the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, barely paying attention to what I’m sipping. It’s all peated single malts because I don’t want to be challenged, I just want to enjoy and I know I love these. A little background. I went to high school in the mid-90s, but I loved the 50’s. A bit of an anomaly, but somehow my best pal was even more of a purist than me. We loved early rock and roll and my friend claimed he prayed to God each night to be transported back to the 50s. Me and my buddy took a couple of girls out in a ‘57 Chevy we’d somehow got access to for the summer. My chum took the girl that would later become my high school sweetheart, Erin, and I was with her friend, a pretty redhead. Erin was super obnoxious that evening. She brought a teddy bear and was making it talk in a baby voice. My pal told her to knock that shit off, but she wouldn’t shut up. So he grabbed the fucking bear and threw it out the window. Erin freaked out and started screaming and punching his arm, but he wouldn’t turn the 5-7 around. Neither of us got any that night, but I scored big points with Erin by picking her up after the date and taking her to find the bear. Anyway, back to the present. I’m minding my own business watching a great show and I get to the Port Charlotte. I pour half a dram and I’m nursing it, enjoying the ambience of a super good ‘50s period piece. Then something in the finish of the Port Charlotte hits me and takes me back to 1996. Something musty. Old seat vinyl from the ‘57 Chevy and an unfiltered Lucky Strike cigarette, which we didn’t smoke. We just held them in our mouths because ... Brando. Then the day came that Erin broke up with me. I took 2 packs of Luckies and went to the basement of my buddy’s outbuilding, which he had turned into a speakeasy. Velvet drapes on the walls, an old record player and 8x10 black and white glossies of 1930s movie stars. I sat down and lit up a cigarette for the first and only time in my life. I’d still never tasted alcohol. I figured, fuck it, if Erin doesn’t want me, I’m fucking smoking all these goddamn Luckies. Anyway, it all feels like it happened 100 years ago. But something in this dram brought it all back. And it was all sweet.

The Bottle: I love this thing. The green glass with the grey/white/gold is very "apothecary". It feels nice and solid in the hand and looks good on the bar. Some useful information about the spirit within and a minimum of marketing fluff. In the Glass: Light straw. On the Nose: If you are familiar at all with Bruichladdich's standard offering, you can sense the pedigree here from the off. There's the barley sugar sweetness and some fruit notes nestled within the peat. The peat here is more akin to a Laphroaig than an Ardbeg, so more mineral than smoke. Quite pleasant all-around. You couldn't tell that this is bottled at 50% abv from the nose alone, there's no alcohol bite or harshness. Taste: Sweet, measured arrival with a strong peat development. The smoke makes an appearance on the finish, even though it's missing from the nose. It doesn't finish overly dry or astringent, which a lot of younger spirits are wont to do. This is a very well constructed expression; with none of the individual flavors standing out from the others. A few drops of water won't hurt, but do be careful as the nuance would drown quite easily. All-in-all, this is a great peated offering from Islay. It's the cute girl next door to the brawlers from Ardbeg and Laphroaig. Well-worth a look.

I’m well aware batting 3rd in the lineup can have unintended negative consequences. But I love peaty smoky Islay malts so much I was sure any dram that bills itself as “heavily peated” could handle my dulled taste buds and slight inebriation. Let’s pretend we’re a Basset hound. What is better than a damp old brown leather shoe? Nothing! The smell of it attracts us to our master’s closet. Since we’re a naughty boy, we pick it up by the laces and drag it into the master bedroom and begin chewing on it. Immediately we realize our master must’ve worn these shoes when he last mowed the lawn. There’s something sweet. The master’s damn kid must’ve dropped a roasted marshmallow on the lawn after their last shindig around the fire pit and Master stepped on it while mowing. But we’re not complaining. Our lazy master waited too long to mow the lawn and it’s gone to seed. We can taste a little of that grain. Now we realize he also spilled some lighter fluid on his shoes as he was trying to light the fire. And that’s the best part of all. What a great shoe. I can’t believe humans don’t understand why we love to chew on them. They get better and better with everything Master walked though over the course of 7 years.

Short legs show it’s youth. Little drips sit in the glass as you swirl it. I have missed Islay malts while on a mountain getaway with a bunch of bourbon lovers. The nose is wonderful and perfect. It’s campfire, salt and sea just as you’d expected from the PC line at Bruichladdich. I know that all the barley is Islay and I think that’s awesome. I’m not smart or well traveled enough to be able to taste it but it’s a wonderful thing to note about the “Terroir Matters” people over there. It gives a handmade microbrew feel to them. The taste is classic. Again, I don’t know how to say it better than sea and salt. I haven’t been to Scotland but it makes me think of the North Atlantic. Kinda smells and tastes like the Maine coast (plus peat). I should try this with lobster or is that too much Maine? Regardless, there is no burn in this (full disclosure I’ve been drinking a lot of cask strength lately so my tastebuds could be dulled 🤷‍♂️). This is long and smooth on the back end. I still feel the salty sweetness behind my molars minutes later. This is wonderful.

Opened this bottle a few days ago and went back to it today with a friend. Maybe it’s the company but it’s even better today. In addition to my previous review I’m getting a ton of SWEETNESS on the palate. Probably the honey note but I’m getting a bit of something citrusy too. Just a little and I didn’t get it at all on first opening. I will re-note...the amount of burn on this is amazingly slight for a young whiskey at this ABV. I’ve had many a bottle in bond bourbons that have way more bite than this. The 8 year Lagavulin has a lower alcohol content, stayed in the barrel longer, and was much harsher. This is smooth and sweet (apparently) while being a peat bomb. I finished the glass and a half hour later my fiancé walked by the empty glass and did a slight recoil. I asked her what was up and she just said “smoky!” Couldn’t have said it better myself!!

So this is not the 2011 reviewed, I tasted the 2012 50%ABV Nose - oily, burnt caramel, burnt marshmallow, peat is there but not too strong---I'd rate moderate, way less than Laphroig/Ardbeg---and dirt, Kenz says formaldehyde and anatomy lab circa 2014 Taste - up front light taste, then you're hit with the peat, meaty, hint of bitter chocolate Finish - long meaty finish, some creamy maltyness, peat lingers on the throat, light burn Score - 4.0 Scoring Legend 5.0 - Outstanding, unmatched to others 4.5 - Excellent, I will always keep a bottle in stock if possible 4.0 - Very good, quite enjoyable to drink, can consider as a solid choice 3.5 - Good, would taste again 3.0 - Average 2.5 - Acceptable, still drinkable. 2.0 - Inferior, able to drink but not enjoyable 1.5 and below—wouldn’t drink again unless I am desperate