Latest Port Charlotte Islay Barley 2014
in 2000, Bruichladdich distillery was starting a new page in its history, it was known as a producer of non-peat whisky. Quite paradoxically, since it is a whisky maker located on the island of Islay, famous for spirits with strong, challenging peat and smoke accents.
Jim McEwan, a walking legend of the Scottish distilling industry, transferred in 2001 from Bowmore, immediately addressed this obvious shortcoming. The first tempering after the reactivation of the distillery, in May 2001, is carried out on malt smoked to a level of 40 ppm, which is comparable to the previous "smoky monsters" from the south coast of the island - Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg. Thus was born the first Port Charlotte, a smoky whisky, taking its name from the historic distillery, now closed, located nearby in the settlement of the same name. For a while there was even talk of restarting the Port Charlotte, which has been closed for years, and moving production of smoky whisky there. Few people remember these plans anymore, but Port Charlotte whisky has stayed with us for good, and is gaining a growing number of admirers.
One of the marketing strategies employed by Bruichladdich shortly after its reactivation was to orient itself toward all things local. Over time, the company became the island's largest employer, and the distillery's contracted cultivation of local barley became a significant support for local farmers. This is important because barley growing conditions are extremely difficult on Islay, and the legislation defining what can be called Scotch whisky does not specify where the barley should come from. In other words, it is incomparably simpler and cheaper to import barley from abroad, or even just from England, and base your production on it. However, if the myth of Scotch whisky is based on traditional production methods, it is worth the effort and extra cost to offer consumers a beverage that is not only truly Scottish, but fully local. This is the philosophy of Bruichladdich wherever possible.
Today Bruichladdich announces launch of new edition Port Charlotte, a smoky whisky using only barley raised on Islay.
Port Charlotte Islay Barley 2014 (50% vol.) is a 7-year-old whisky based on barley malt smoked to 40 ppm, sourced from eight farms on Islay, located within a 15-mile radius of the distillery.
Made with barley from the 2014 harvest, the whisky was matured in first-fill bourbon barrels (84%), second-fill fresh oak barrels (8%) and second-fill Bordeaux wine barrels (8%). Bottled without the addition of coloring caramel and with the omission of cold filtration. The price of a single bottle is £75.
Port Charlotte Islay Barley 2014 in its aroma offers notes of malty digestive cookies, smoldering peat, sweet vanilla, honey, toffee and crème brûlée. On the taste, we should find accents of citrus, peat smoke, apricots, peaches and ripe melons.
By the time this material was prepared, Port Charlotte Islay Barley 2014 has not yet managed to reach the shelves of the House of Whisky Online, so it is worth checking in regularly so as not to miss its appearance. In the meantime, we encourage you to take a look at current offer of whisky from Bruichladdich, readily available.
[15.02.2023 / photo: Bruichladdich]