Port Charlotte the Peat Project – review

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On the little island Islay of Scotland, which is famous for some of the most special peated whiskys of the world, the distilleries are counted on the fingers of two hands. One of them, Bruichladdich, produces among other bottlings the today’s tasting whisky, the out of production Port Charlotte the Peat Project.

Inside the bottle of Port Charlotte the Peat Project

Port Charlotte the Peat Project is one of the whiskys that have been named after the homonymous place at the south of the distillery, on the west coast of Loch Indaal. In this small town, the Loch Indaal distillery used to turn on its’ ovens and make peated whisky until 1929, when it closed after 100 years of history. It is said that Bruchladdich was inspired by it and as an honor bound created a series of highly peated whisky, the Port Charlottes.

The Port Charlottes series contains some age signified “diamonds” with 5 to 11 years of aging, but also some with none signification of age (NAS), as the one we are tasting today. The age-signified ones have the indication PC5 up to PC11, are cask strength bottled, no water is added before bottling and as logical, are already all of them collectors’ items.

What I find interesting to the whole Port Charlotte Project is that it is a pneumatic child of the master distiller Jim McEwan. Mister McEwan, who began his career at the Bowmore distillery, already counts his sixth decade as a master distiller.

The most special characteristic of Port Charlotte the Peat Project is that it manages to combine the intense floral and blossoming character of the spirit, which characterizes the distillery, as a result of the stills’ shape, with the intense smoke that accompanies the whole project. 44pm (parts per million) is the number that determines the phenolic level of this specific whisky, that is how smoked taste it has, a number that is, no doubt, very high even for the category of the most peated whiskys.

After distillation, the whisky remains to rest in ex – bourbon American oak casks and is stored in warehouses inside the same town of Port Charllotte. Port Charlotte the Peat Project is a blend of different years and is being bottled without any use of caramel or cold compounding process.

Port Charlotte the Peat Project inside our glass

The Peat Project, as most of the Port Charllotes, is bottled in a characteristic transparent bottle, at 46% abv. It has a bright gold color and a nose that overflows the entire room, especially if this happens to be your office, the exact same time you are writing about it.

As natural, smoke is more than obvious, along with the minerality of flint and a mighty dose of iodium. Its character becomes more interesting as the intense citric, lemon-like notes are escorted by a hint of grass. Spices have their place, well hidden in the background: mahleb and vanilla, but also a hint of cream and brioche.

Its palate is almost salty, silky and light, despite the 46% alcoholic degrees and the “tons” of smoke. A relatively young whisky trying to combine the fruit with smoke and sweet seasonings. Its length is medium. It is certainly a kid of the distillery’s moto: “Unashamedly experimental!”. It is of great interest, though, especially for someone recently introduced to the characteristic peat of the traditional scotches.

Rating

Timos Spanos rating: 85/ 100

Yiannis Korovesis rating: 80/ 100

Average rating: 82.5/ 100

Owner: Bruichladdich

Country of production and bottling: Islay, Scotland

Alcoholic degrees: 46% abv

Type: Single malt scotch whisky

Bottle size: 700 ml

Imported in Greece by: –

All photos by Timos Spanos for Bitterbooze.com

Translation by Eleni Tsirimokou