.port charlotte - pc8 - ar duthchas

In a series of cask strength releases, this eight year old Port Charlotte is from a batch of 30000 bottles, bottled in 2011, matured in ex-American Oak casks.

.port charlotte - cc:01

Designed for the Global Travel Retail market, so this Port Charlotte is only available next time you take a flight, and not via any other channels. Another heavily peated, Islay worthy whisky, with a full time maturation in French ex-Eau de Vie casks from the Western Cognac region.

.bruichladdich - the laddie eight

Another classic Bruichladdich. With the absence of the popular Ten and the rather young (but fine) NAS Classic editions, Bruichladdich now added an eight year old to their list of Global Travel Retail expressions. Put together from American and European oak eight year old matured spirit matured in the warehouses on Islay, she is a fruity and floral dram, that would not suit ill in our whisky cabinet.

.port charlotte - 10yo - the maltman

From the lovely Bruichladdich distillery on the gorgeous isle of Islay, comes this Port Charlotte, cared for and bottled by the nice people of the Maltman.

.octomore - edition 07.4_167

Uncharted territory.
“do not go where the path may lead, go where there is no path and leave a trail”

I love this quote - nicked from the Bruichladdich website - it reflects many of the experimental paths Bruichladdich have already taken in the past, this Octomore especially, and most likely the whisky trails they will keep making in the future.

.octomore - 07.3_169 - islay barley 2010

The second release of Bruichladdich's Octomore of Octomore. Distilled from barley grown on the lands of the Octomore farm on the east coast of Islay, where also the water comes from to dilute the whisky during bottling. If they would have done that, because this - is HOT...

.bruichladdich - 2003 - micro provenance - cask # 229

A Bruichladdich distilled in 2003, fully matured in a European oak ex-Sherry cask since then.

.bruichladdich - 2003 - micro provenance - cask #543

Thias Bruichladdich has been distilled in 2003 and has been maturing in the isle of Islay in an ex-Port Hogshead barrel ever since.

.bruichladdich - 1994 - micro provenance - cask #013

This 21 year old has spebt most of her time on Islay in an ex-bourbon cask, to get a final year in an ex-Sauternes barrel (of unknown origin).

.octomore - 07.1_208

Every now and then, Bruichladdich bottles a new version of their Octomore, the world's most heavily peated single malt. This seventh annual edition's malted barley has received a peating level of a whopping 208 phenol parts per million. During the Fèis Ìle 2015, this latest edition - matured in American Oak, was still being bottled at the distillery but we were lucky enough to receive a sample they were pouring in the distillery shop.

.octomore - 6.3 - islay barley

"For the very first time we are proud to release Octomore whisky distilled from 100% Islay barley and harversted in 2008 by farmer James Brown at Lorgba, a single field on his Octomore farm.

Peated to a stratospheric 258ppm, the highest ever released in the industry, this extraordinary dram embodies its island origins and carries its phenol count with an effortless grace..."

.port charlotte - 2001-2014 - the maltman - #846

We do not see very often that an independent bottler releases a whisky from the Bruichladdich distillery, simply because the distillery hardly ever sells a cask. Every now and then - if you are lucky, you can find a bottle that does not have the official, contemporary label on the bottle, but nevertheless is a distillate from the Progressive Hebridean Distillers that somehow slipped through the nets and found its way into the arms of an independent party that decided to cherish the spirit and bottle it on their own terms, at the right time.

This edition of their heavily peated Port Charlotte has been caressed for the past twelve years by our friends at Meadowside blending who bottled it as one of their own, in their "the Maltman" single cask series.

.octomore 7.2

"The latest exemplar of the cult that surrounds the world's most heavily peated whisky series. A limited edition Cuvée that marries spirit matured in classic American oak with spirit matured in casks that once held Syrah created in the great vineyards of the Northern Rhône valley."

.port charlotte - islay barley - 2008

"Port Charlotte Islay Barley represents a milestone. For the first time, perhaps in the island history, a heavily peated single malt has been distilled using Islay grown barley. The wind-driven rain that lashes Islay's fields, and the Atlantic air breathed by the casks as they mature by the shores of Loch Indaal, gives the whisky its signature salty, citrus tang." Let's see for ourselves...

.port charlotte - 9yo - smws 127.37

"Dinosaurs dancing to Stravinsky" it says on the bottle. I get that. There is charcoal you would want to dance with...

.bruichladdich - sherry classic

From the best distillery in the world [well, a great one at least; I love Bruichladdich. Seriously, what is not to love] came the Sherry Classic "fusion": Fernando de Castilla. A classic ex-Bourbon-matured Bruichladdich that has been finished in an ex-Sherry cask from the Fernando de Castilla bodega's "remarkable antique" single solera series.

.bruichladdich - xvii

46% abv, €175+, single malt, non-chill filtered, natural colour

Nose: dunnage warehouse, fresh, ginger, nutmeg, citrus
Palate: sweet, spicy, hot peppers, vanilla, walnuts, citrus, lemons
Finish: warm, citrus, lemons, slight nutty bitter (nice!), long
Mark: +++++

.bruichladdich - micro provenance series - madeira finished

.not the actual
bottle, but similar

46% abv, €35, single malt, non-chill filtered, natural colour

Nose: sweet, vanilla, wood, heavy, fermenting meat, old books, fresh fruit, pears, citrus
Palate: sweet, spicy, white pepper, dry, citrus, oranges, slight bitter, marmalade
Finish: warm, sweet, dark, meaty, citrus, medium dry, medium long, iron
Mark: +++++

Conclusion: Not the best Bruichladdich I have ever tasted.

More info: 7 years old, distilled in 2001, matured in ex-Bourbon casks, put in ex-Madeira casks in 2006, bottled in 2009

.octomore - 06.1 - scottish barley

57% abv, €125, single malt, non-chill filtered, natural color

Nose: smoke, sweet, cork, wood, dry red wine, oak, wood, grapefruits, mint, herbal, eucalyptus, salted butter, peach, stone-fruit, prunes, bacon
Palate: sweet, strong, grapes, raisins, honey, dry red wine mouthfeel, floral, heather, sharp, pepper, bbq, smoke
Finish: long, medium dry, sweet, smoky, bbq, meat, smoked ham
Mark: +++++

.port charlotte - scottish barley

50% abv, €60, single malt, non-chill filtered, natural colour

Nose: fruit, smoke, salt, melon wrapped with ham, citrus, grapefruit, caramel, fresh air, eucalyptus
Palate: sweet, fruit, grapes, citrus, grapefruit,, dry white wine, rosemary, lavender, barley, hay, cereal
Finish: smoky, dry, long, sweet, fruit, melon, apples
Mark: +++++

Conclusion: nice one again, although she is a bit steep on the price.

More info: This was dram three during a twitter tasting with four surprise 20cl samples of the new 2013 core range from Bruichladdich, who also hold the Port Charlotte and Octomore brand names.

from the website: Peated to a heavyweight 40ppm, Port Charlotte - Scottish Barley is a cuvee crafted from casks hand-picked by master distiller Jim McEwan. It showcases the supreme elegance of this remarkable single malt - a union of the classic floral elegance of Bruichladdich and heavy peat. 

This whisky is testament to our belief that raw ingredients matter. Trickle distilled from 100% Scottish Barley the spirit gently matures in the Lochside village of Port Charlotte before being bottled here at the distillery using Islay spring water.