Episode 36: Bruichladdich Port Charlotte 10 Heavily Peated

The Pot Still Column: Episode 36

Bruichladdich Port Charlotte Heavily Peated 10 Year Islay Single Malt Whisky

Batch: Unknown (Distilled in 2007/ Bottled in 2018)

Proof: 100

Age: 10 Years

Finish: Ex-Bourbon Barrels and French Wine Casks

Source: Bruichladdich Distillery (Isle of Islay, Scotland)

Price: $72.99

Port Charlotte Heavily Peated Islay Single Malt - 10 Year Old Scotch Whisky

Everybody knows about Bruichladdich, one of the better known Islay distilleries and a pillar of Scottish culture for over 140 years. Bruichladdich (pronounced "brook-LAD-ee") makes its way into the collection of nearly every whisky drinker at some point in his or her life, and is a mainstay at any bar with a decent whisky selection. The ubiquity of the pour makes it almost pointless to review, but I have a bottle, and I am going to do it anyway. You can't stop me because I am the internet. You all know what this whisky tastes like, but I'm going to explain it to you again regardless. Humanity craves direction, and the Column shall provide.

Alas, I am losing focus. Let's talk about Bruichladdich's Port Charlotte 10-Year Heavily Peated.

Port Charlotte 10 is one of Bruichladdich's flagship products, providing all of the refinement of the distillery's century and a half of production experience with few extra frills. The whisky bears a humble age statement of 10 years, a relatively youthful spirit in comparison with the 12 year standard to which many of Bruichladdich's competitors adhere. The whisky is aged in a combination of ex-bourbon barrels and French wine casks, none of which impart a particularly vibrant color. The whisky is light in hue, bearing a straw-like pallor that suggests a lack of artificial coloring. The bottle in which the whisky arrives is an absolute tank, sacrificing the slim elegance of many scotch bottles for a more durable design. Like many other Islay scotches, the glass is green rather than clear, appropriately representing the briny and rough-edged whisky inside.

"Hebridean" refers to Bruichladdich Distillery's geographical location in the Hebrides archipelago, a string of islands of which Islay is a part.

Bruichladdich may be best known for its Octomore releases, a line of uber-peated and limited scotch whiskies released on a yearly basis. The Octomore line has earned Bruichladdich a reputation for using heavily smoked barley, a characteristic written into the name of this Port Charlotte offering as well: heavily peated. Port Charlotte 10 Heavily Peated reportedly has a peat presence of 40ppm (parts per million), but a whisky's peat concentration tends to decrease in the time between distillation and bottling. For reference and comparison, Ardbeg 10 has a peat level of around 55ppm, Lagavulin 16 is around 35ppm, and Octomore has a ridiculous concentration of approximately140ppm. Friends with whom I have enjoyed Port Charlotte 10 have commented that it is extraordinarily peaty, but I have to disagree. Having tried several batches of Octomore and various releases from Laphroaig, I find Port Charlotte 10 to be moderate, if not somewhat delicate, in its smoke presence. It can be likened more to a loving kiss on the cheek from your cigarette-addicted grandmother than a mouthful of tailpipe fumes.

Delicate or not, this whisky is undeniably smoky, and any consumer, veteran or newbie, would be likely to agree. The nose is crisp and peaty, and the smoke presents cleanly rather than mustily or darkly. Like with many scotches, there is a clear note of green apple complemented by a citric tartness that balances out the smoke. There is a very subtle note of vanilla that reminds me, unfortunately, of some unpleasant whiskeys that I have tried in the past. My experiences have shown that peated whiskey made improperly develops a proteinaceous vanilla scent, especially when finished in first-fill oak casks. Something about the interaction of the vanillins from the oak with the peat smoke from the barley produces an undesirable outcome. The worst example of this that I have encountered to date has been a certain Colorado distillery that rhymes with String Florty Flor, the whiskey from which made me consider sobriety. Thankfully, further sniffing reveals that the scent of which I speak is not as prevalent as I initially feared, and my concern may have been little more than an untimely trauma flare-up.

Upon tasting it, I am pleasantly reminded that Port Charlotte 10 is bottled at a generous ABV of 50%. Finding scotch whiskies, especially popular ones, at such a high proof is very uncommon, and most comparable scotches tend to hover in the dreaded 80 to 86 proof range. The seemingly negligible increase in alcohol from 43% to 50% makes an enormous difference, boosting the flavors and creating a significantly fuller experience. The peat is just as strong in the flavor as it is on the nose, but a dense, musty, and rich malt flavor replaces the crisp fruit notes that I discovered initially. The smoke is fresh and vegetal, surprisingly organic compared to the frequently ashy profile of other Islay scotches. Some of the peaty vanilla mix does make its way into the taste, leaving me slightly on edge, but never culminating into anything unpleasant. As is common in many Islay whiskies, the finish is everlasting and flavorful, echoing the smoky notes of the whisky long after it is gone.

Closing Impression:

Holy hell, I love Islay scotch. There is very little else more satisfying than the smokiness of a peaty whisky, unless of course one hasn't developed the taste for it. If that is the case, I implore such individuals to figure that shit out because they are missing out on some of the greatest flavors on the planet. Port Charlotte 10 is a fine example of an Islay scotch that satisfies entirely below the $100 mark. It is becoming more difficult to find any peated whisky for such a price, and even long-time standards such as Lagavulin 16 have crossed the threshold in some markets. For around $70, Port Charlotte Heavily Peated is a reasonable buy. Admittedly, it is tough to compare it to other whiskies in its age and proof range. For instance, Wild Turkey 101 bourbon is aged for up to 8 years and bottled at and just over 100 proof, but it can be found for under $20. Of course, it is silly to compare scotch to bourbon, but it does help put things into perspective as a consumer. Bruichladdich, however, is not in the business of making bourbon, and the cost of its products is very good for the scotch market. While Port Charlotte 10 isn't reinventing the wheel, I would recommend this "budget" Islay whisky to anyone with an interest in peat with no hesitation.

Nose: 86/100

Taste: 87/100

Finish: 88/100

Overall: 87/100 (Great)