This Port Charlotte 18 Year Old is one of only 8,000 bottles and is exclusively distilled, matured, and bottled on Islay. A combination of first fill bourbon casks (53%) and second fill sherry casks (31%). A further small and interesting parcel of Port Charlotte (16%) was also filled into sherry casks for 11 years, before being recasked into Virgin French Oak for around five years. This spirit was then recasked into second fill bourbon barrels, before all components were married for bottling.
Available in a 700ml bottle, at 51.5% abv.
TASTING NOTES
APPEARANCE
Golden Syrup
NOSE
Dried fruits are immediate on the nose, with the aroma of figs, sultanas and raisins mingling with sweet smoke and mellow oak. As the whisky breathes, charred oak, tobacco and earthy heather come to the fore, complimenting the delicate sweetness of caramel, toffee and date syrup
TASTE
Luxuriously smooth in texture, dark brown sugar, apricot jam and sweet heather honey coat the palate. This initial sweetness is punctuated by Port Charlotte’s signature peat smoke, with the subtle influence of toasted oak adding depth and complexity. The earthy, barbeque smoke adds a savoury element, beautifully balanced with rich crème brûlée, hazelnut and toasted coconut. A subtle minerality not only nods to the whisky’s all-Islay maturation but adds a hint of salt, cutting through the sweetness.
FINISH
Wood spices, smoked leather and a subtle nutty salinity settle on the finish, while the inimitable whisper of Port Charlotte peat smoke lingers.
