DescriptionIslay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery Bottling 70cl / 56.1%
Released in summer 2021, this is an 8-year-old Port Charlotte from the 2011 vintage finished in top drawer red wine casks from Pauillac in Bordeaux.
Port Charlotte is Bruichladdich's heavily-peated single malt - not as heavily-peated as Octomore, although it still clocks in at 40ppm phenolicity, which is higher than many of its sister Islay distilleries, and more than enough to compete with whichever fancy Pauillac claret you want to throw at it.
This particular Port Charlotte PAC:01 was distilled from Concerto barley in 2011 and constructed from two batches of casks - one batch of six-year-old Port Charlotte from first fill American oak that was finished in first fill Pauillac casks for two years; and a second batch of 7-year-old first fill American oak casks that were finished in second fill (maybe the same?) Pauillac casks.
The two batches were then vatted together to create 8-year-old Port Charlotte PAC:01 2011 and bottled at cask strength 56.1%.
Nose: Lots of fresh, fruit aromas mingle with the dry peat smoke to entice you into the dram; from the oak comes spices – cloves, ginger and cassia, along with chocolate, toasted malt with toffee, brown sugar and delicate coconut and vanilla notes. As you nose again, the fruit notes of both the spirit and the wood come together – melon and citrus from the spirit and dried plums and raisin from the cask. The earthy peat smoke wraps around the fruit and spice and holds everything together, highlighting the wonderful marine and ozone notes that breeze through the dram.
Palate: As the first drop touches your tongue, a wave of flavours sweep across the palate, the sweetness from the oak and malt lead, followed by the smoke, citrus and dried fruit notes. Another sip helps to order the flavours, and you find the oak notes, the dried fruit, marzipan and spice. Caramel and chocolate notes emerge alongside the peat smoke with its earthy richness. A little water opens the citrus fruit and marine elements and brings out a little more of the coconut and vanilla notes from the oak. The structure on the palate is firm and round and balances the depth of flavour of this whisky.
Finish: The peat smoke comes through on the finish with a more medicinal phenol style. Coconut and floral notes waver, and a saline marine element combines with the earthy smoke in the classic Port Charlotte style. The oak’s softness and the minerality of the spirit become wrapped in smoke, a familiar signature to this dram.
Character: The depth of the oak and the harmony it creates with the smoke define this Port Charlotte cask edition’s character. Muscular and round in texture and flavour, yet with a typically dry, earthy smoke and marine breeze style, Port Charlotte.
Pre-Owned Stock
At Whisky-Online we are specialists in old and rare bottles of whisky from days gone by. We are constantly picking up new stock of vintage bottles from various sources and private sales. All the pre-owned bottles on our site are vetted very carefully for authenticity by our team before they reach our website so that our customers can continue to buy with confidence. If we have the slightest doubts about a bottle’s provenance or authenticity we don’t list it, simple as that.
Please bear in mind stock that has been assigned as pre-owned is not in brand new mint condition. As pre-owned bottles will have been subject to natural wear and tear over the years, we strongly advise customers to check carefully the website images to assess the condition of individual bottles prior to purchase.
All stock assigned by us as pre-owned is sold as seen. Our website images of these old and rare whiskies are fair but not comprehensive representations and some flaws may not be visible in these images. It is important, therefore, to contact us for more images or further information before ordering if you have any specific questions or requirements about particular items.
Due to the varying ages and conditions of bottles, labels, corks and their seals, their safe transport without further damage or deterioration is not guaranteed and we recommend that these items are collected in person. If collection is not an option and buyers choose to have pre-owned items delivered we cannot accept responsibility for deterioration to these items during transit.
Please be aware that because of the varying conditions mentioned above there is a risk of seal failure during transit and that we cannot accept responsibility for any bottle leakage that occurs in this way.
Pre-Owned & New Stock
Seal and cork failure are two of the more common issues affecting older pre-owned bottles, but they can occur in new bottles as well. Cork is a naturally porous material and contains irregular air pockets that may compromise the integrity of the closure.
Over long periods of time corks can dry out and shrink, increasing the chances of cork failure and subsequent leakage. However, it is still strongly recommended to store bottles upright at all times, as keeping whisky bottles on their sides can damage the cork and increase the chances of leakage or failure.
When you open a bottle with a cork stopper - no matter how carefully - there is always a chance that the cork may break, particularly for older bottles. We recommend keeping a stock of spare corks in different sizes in case a replacement cork is needed.
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- Wear and tear, rust, stains, foxing or any other cosmetic damage to labels, boxes or other packaging where the customer has not requested extra images prior to purchase
- Deterioration to labels/packaging in transit
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