Port Charlotte 18 year old Bruichladdich Single Islay Malt Whisky 70 cl 52,3%

Eighteen years is a long time to leave a cask to its own devices. Outside the warehouse walls Islay has changed, while the casks listened to the Atlantic and kept their own counsel. Not one of them has ever left the island.

Expert's Description

Port Charlotte 18 year 2026 Edition is a heavily peated Islay Single Malt Whisky matured in bourbon, sherry, Virgin Oak and red wine casks and bottled at 52.3%.

It's made from 100% Scottish mainland barley, peated to 40 PPM, and comes as a limited release of 8,000 bottles. Everything happened on Islay: distilled, matured and bottled at Bruichladdich. This is the third year running with an 18 year old Port Charlotte, and each edition has had its own cask recipe.

The starting point was three types of cask: 40% first fill bourbon, 15% second fill sherry and 15% Virgin Oak. Part of the sherry-matured spirit was then moved into first fill red wine casks from the Rhône for five years, followed by two years in second fill bourbon, and that makes up 20% of the blend. The last 10% spent its time in refill sherry and wine casks. Everything was then married together for bottling.

Adam Hannett at Bruichladdich wanted casks that could carry full, dark flavours without flattening the distillery's elegant style. The red wine casks add dark fruit and spice around the smoke, while the bourbon keeps things bright.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Tropical fruit arrives straight away, followed by gentle wood smoke and warm spices. Underneath sit honey and soft apricot.

Palate

The sweetness is thick and toffee-like, with tropical fruit running through it. Then it turns earthier: old leather, charred oak and roasted almonds, before the peat smoke steps forward.

Finish

The peat smoke lingers, with a hint of minerality from the maturation on Islay.

Specifications

Name: Port Charlotte 18 year 2026 Edition
Distillery: Bruichladdich
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Whisky
Age: 18 year
ABV: 52.3%
Size: 70 cl
Cask type: 40% 1st fill bourbon, 15% 2nd fill sherry, 15% Virgin Oak, 20% finished in 1st fill red wine casks from the Rhône (5 years) and then 2nd fill bourbon (2 years), 10% 2nd fill sherry and wine casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Number of bottles: 8,000
Edition: 2026 Edition

Flavour Profile

Heavily peated · Smoky · Tropical fruit · Toffee · Spicy

Did you know?

The red wine casks come from the Rhône. Adam Hannett picked them because wines from there have deep colour, firm tannins and the ability to age for decades.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Port Charlotte 18 year 2026

What does Port Charlotte 18 year 2026 taste like?

It tastes of tropical fruit, toffee and peat smoke. The nose opens with fruit and gentle wood smoke, the palate is thick and sweet with an earthy layer of leather, charred oak and roasted almonds, and the finish is smoky with a touch of minerality.

Is Port Charlotte 18 year 2026 worth it?

Yes, if you want a mature, heavily peated Islay whisky in a limited run. Only 8,000 bottles were made, the entire maturation happened on Islay, and the blend draws on five different cask routes, including red wine casks from the Rhône. A combination like that won't be made twice.

What's the difference between the 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions of Port Charlotte 18 year?

The casks change every year. The 2024 edition was distilled in 2004, bottled at 54.3% in 6,000 bottles and built on sherry and French red wine oak. The 2025 edition is 51.5%, 8,000 bottles and mostly bourbon, with a sweeter profile. The 2026 edition is 52.3%, 8,000 bottles and a mix of bourbon, sherry, Virgin Oak and Rhône red wine, with more tropical fruit and toffee.

How heavily peated is Port Charlotte 18 year?

The barley is peated to 40 PPM, so it's heavily peated. The smoke is clear, but after 18 years in cask it shares the stage with fruit and sweetness. If you want to compare it with its neighbours, browse our range of Islay Whisky.

How do you drink Port Charlotte 18 year 2026?

Neat, in a tulip-shaped glass, so the fruit and smoke have room to meet. At 52.3% it can take a single drop of water, which can open up the sweetness. Find the right glass in our range of whisky glasses.

What is Port Charlotte known for?

Port Charlotte is Bruichladdich's heavily peated range. It's made from Scottish barley, and everything is distilled, matured and bottled on Islay. The first spirit was distilled in 2001, and the name comes from the village two miles south of the distillery.