Bruichladdich: Port Charlotte: Peat Project (Scottish Islay Single Malt Whisky: No age Statement: 46% ABV)
Visual: Very light barley grain.
Viscosity: Quite thick fast streaks.
Nose: Dried beef slices. Peat. Barley. Honey. Sea salt wet rocks. Sulphur.
Body: Smooth. Light lime. Peat. Wet bogs and seaweed. Honey. Barley cakes. Toffee. Salt. Water adds sweeter custard and vanilla to the peat and lime.
Finish: Smoke. Broth. Lime sorbet. Toffee. Water makes smoke over vanilla toffee. Malt chocolate. Dry at the end.
Conclusion: Peaty whisky is rarely this smooth, nor this fruity. From the moment you see the very clear spirit you know something is going to be different here, then when the first light touch on the tongue doesn’t hint at the peat, instead giving lime in a sorbet fashion playing there. Soon enough though the peat and smoke rises within and gives it its namesake.
This is so very unusual, that sharp citrus and never truly medicinal despite the peat and island salt rocks brought in amongst beef broth flavours. There is a lightness of character that belies the dryness that peat can often bring. This is whisky that feels deceptive in the turns it takes, keeping you on your toes for what is coming next. It is a whisky where you can appreciate it best if you come to it already loving the range of whisky that exist, as it runs the gamut, light and sweet early on, then heavily peaty, then drying. It really works the range, never really committing to a cause or style.
By the end of the whisky you finally get those starting elements of the medicinal nature coming to the fore, though as said, it never fully commits. It is an interesting whisky, it never reaches the heights of flavor of the more dedicated Islay style whiskies like the amazing Laguvulin, but instead takes you on a much wider journey. Very enjoyable.
Background: Port Charlotte, the other Bruichladdich. This time apparently an attempt to discover what the old days peated Bruichladdich would have tasted like. Now I’ve tried Octomore which is what if Bruichladdich was insanely peated, and I enjoyed that, so when I saw this in Brewdog Bristol I decided to give it a try. Yes Brewdog Bristol again, leave me alone.
