Review
200
1/18/14
Port
Charlotte PC7: 61% abv
Background: Port
Charlotte is the “branch” of Bruichladdich that focuses on the heavily peated
Scotch of their range. Don’t be confused; Port Charlotte is still distilled at
Bruichladdich. It just differentiates their heavily peated products from the rest
of them. Even more confusing is the existence of Octomore, another peated
Bruichladdich made with extremely high levels of peat smoking, which is
normally measured in PPMs (parts per million) of phenol content in the barley
grain. But enough about that; more on this specimen. In Review 180, we talked
about PC6 and the PC series. This is the next in line, being aged in
traditional oak casks for 7 years. It is bottled at a monster 61%. This is
bottle 23,717 out of 24,000. Let’s give this whisky a good look.
Straight
Nose: This
whisky starts off with a greatly earthy, grassy peat smoke. The smell of fresh
cut grass, wood smoke, and mossiness is prominent in the aroma, with a hint of
sawdust. There is a large amount of savory flavor and vanilla, with a huge
spiciness to it. An almost sweet and tangy meat sauce smell is present here. A
notable floral rose note is also noticeable. To add to the complexity, a
slightly powdery cocoa smell layers into the aroma. There is a coastal,
saltiness involved with a bit of nuttiness and sweet, fresh maltiness.
Arrival: The
whisky, as expected starts off with a hot, spicy arrival. It is surprisingly
smooth at first, with a peat and spice coming in later. There is a very salty,
seaweed-like flavored feel in there. Because of the high alcohol content, there
is not a lot that can be observed here before flavor is lost and taking over by
the hot alcohol influence. The arrival also has a significantly bready flavor
to it.
Body: The
body contains a lot of malt, peat, caramel and oakiness to it. There is some
chocolatey flavor in here, with some nuttiness so far. The saltiness becomes
very big here, in a pleasant way. There is a lot of crispness in the body as well.
Tea and tobacco are noticeable in the body.
Finish: The finish has a significant
amount of malt and peat to it, while continuing the coastal, salty theme. There
is a bitter, herbal taste present in the finish. Tea tree oil and tobacco are
present in the finish, with some spices as well, including peppercorn. There is
a little yeast that carries over from the arrival.
With Water
Nose: There
is a lot of woodiness after adding water, including dry pine wood. There is
some vanilla and honey present. The grain flavor is starting to open up in the
aroma now. The alcohol has broken loose in the aroma now, making the smell burn
much more than before.
Arrival: There
is more sweetness in the arrival than before, with some dry, bitter wood. A lot
of honey and vanilla is present. The wood is huge in the arrival.
Body: The
body presented a lot more malt and nuttiness. The saltiness and tobacco is
still big in the body. There is some tannic flavor in the body, with some oak
flavor as well. Astringent citrus is present in the body much more now.
Finish: The
finish has become very phenolic and medicinal. It is malty and nutty, but ends
on a dry, coastal note that is complex and lasting. There is a strong, minty
flavor in the finish. It has a fresh, cooling sensation as the whisky
dissipates. The peat and phenol last an incredibly long time in the finish. An
interesting presence of corn is also present in the finish.
Final Comments: Port
Charlotte PC7 is not an outstanding peated Scotch. It is young and brash,
displaying angry fists like a drunken sailor might. It lacks the finesse and
complexity we’ve seen with other malts, and for that reason it doesn’t jump
forward as exceptional. That being said, what it lacks in complexity and
tactfulness, it makes up for in pure, unadulterated bravado and presence. It is
truly a big malt and a high strength. It is salty and briny, peaty and savory,
and is not afraid to strut its stuff. We’ve enjoyed the many glasses of PC7 we’ve
had, even if it isn’t what you’d consider “worth the money”. This is where you
might cue the montage with sappy music, I suppose. In any case, it should be
interesting to see where the Port Charlotte range evolves and how long it will
live.
Why you’d buy it: You
like the big bold peaty stuff and don’t care about the details
Why you wouldn’t: Something
like Caol Ila or Lagavulin has just the right amount of finesse
Score: 8.75/10
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