Islay speaks with many voices, but Port Charlotte's is deep, briny and thick with tar. PMC:01 is the sixth release in the distillery's Cask Exploration series, where the peated Islay character meets the fruit-laden oak of Pomerol wine casks for the very first time.
Expert description
Port Charlotte 2013 PMC:01 is a peated Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky, first matured in bourbon casks and later finished in French Pomerol wine casks, bottled at 54.5%.
Port Charlotte is Bruichladdich distillery's peated single malt, distilled on the same Victorian equipment on Islay's west coast as the distillery's unpeated core range, but taken to a far higher phenol level. PMC:01 is made from Concerto barley peated to 40 ppm and is the sixth bottling in the Cask Exploration series, where the distillery studies what different cask types do to the same peated spirit.
The whisky was distilled in 2013 and spent its first four years in first-fill bourbon casks, before being moved in 2017 into Pomerol wine casks from Bordeaux's Right Bank, one of the world's most sought-after red wine regions. It's the first time Port Charlotte spirit has been allowed to mature in this cask type, and the result is a whisky where salty Islay peat meets dark berries and tanned leather from the wine casks.
Tasting notes
Nose
Blackberry, plum and tanned leather sit on top of a solid base of peat smoke and brine. A tart edge of red berries, a touch of rose and a whisper of honey soften the maritime weight.
Palate
Dry smoke and salt water arrive first, quickly followed by dark berries, clove and a deep, leathery tannin from the wine casks. The fruit is sweet without tipping into sugariness, and the peat keeps everything grounded with an earthy weight.
Finish
Long and smoky, with a finish of dried plums, spiced clove and a whisper of ash that lingers well after the last sip.
Specifications
Name: Port Charlotte 2013 PMC:01
Distillery: Bruichladdich
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 9 years
ABV: 54.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: First-fill bourbon casks, finished in Pomerol wine casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Double distilled
Distilled: 2013
Edition: Cask Exploration Series PMC:01, 6th release
EAN no.: 5055807417310
Flavour profile
Smoky · Maritime · Fruity · Spiced
Did you know?
Pomerol is the smallest of Bordeaux's great appellations, yet home to some of the world's most sought-after red wines. PMC:01 is the first Port Charlotte ever allowed to mature in these casks.
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