Port Charlotte Islay Barley 2014 Bruichladdich 7 years old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 50%

Port Charlotte is a small village on the west coast of Islay. A distillery once stood here, and it shut its doors in 1929. The name stuck around, and today it sits on a heavily peated whisky where every grain of barley was grown on the island itself.

Expert description

Port Charlotte Islay Barley 2014 is a heavily peated Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky, matured for 7 years in 1st fill bourbon casks, 2nd fill Virgin Oak casks and 2nd fill Bordeaux wine casks and bottled at 50%. It is a distillery bottling from Bruichladdich in the Islay Barley series, where the barley is not just Scottish but comes from Islay.

The barley is Concerto and Propino, harvested in 2013 at eight farms within roughly 15 miles of the distillery and distilled the following year, in 2014. Everything can be traced from field to bottle. Getting a crop in on Islay is never a given, with weather that changes by the hour and wild geese and deer happy to help themselves.

The malt is peated to 40 ppm. The casks split into 84% 1st fill bourbon, 8% 2nd fill Virgin Oak and 8% 2nd fill Bordeaux wine casks. The bourbon wood brings vanilla, honey and a little coconut. The oak adds spice, and the wine casks put a fruity edge on top. The smoke is clearly there, but fruit and malty sweetness keep it in check.

The whisky was released in February 2023 as a vintage bottling, and each Islay Barley vintage is a snapshot of what that year's harvest delivered. It was bottled on Islay with spring water from the island.

Tasting notes

Nose

Malty digestive biscuits and smouldering peat lead off, followed by vanilla, honey, toffee and crème brûlée. Give it a few minutes in the glass and lemon zest, grapefruit, ripe melon and peach come through, then a hint of sea breeze and spices like nutmeg and cinnamon.

Palate

A fresh citrus snap first, then sweet ripe fruit: apricot, peach and melon. The peat smoke sits calmly underneath, with a sandy, almost mineral side and toasted oak. The bourbon casks send coconut, marzipan and a touch of tobacco.

Finish

Long and dry. Stone fruit and toasted oak linger, and a soft, dry barbecue smoke is what remains at the end.

Specifications

Name: Port Charlotte Islay Barley 2014
Distillery: Bruichladdich
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 7 years
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 84% 1st fill bourbon casks, 8% 2nd fill Virgin Oak casks and 8% 2nd fill Bordeaux wine casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2014
Edition: Islay Barley 2014
EAN no.: 5055807415965

Flavour profile

Peated · Fruity · Maritime · Vanilla · Toasted oak

Did you know?

In 2004, just one farmer on Islay grew barley for Bruichladdich. By the time this vintage launched in 2023, that had grown to 20 farming partners, and more than half of the distillery's barley was grown on the island.

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Frequently asked questions about Port Charlotte Islay Barley 2014

How heavily peated is Port Charlotte Islay Barley 2014?

The malt is peated to 40 ppm, so it is a heavily peated whisky, though not an extreme one. That is more than Bruichladdich's unpeated bottlings and well short of Octomore, where the peating is on another level. The smoke is clear, but fruit and malty sweetness hold the balance.

What does Port Charlotte Islay Barley 2014 taste like, and what do the casks do?

It tastes of sweet ripe fruit, citrus and gentle peat smoke, with vanilla and coconut in the background. The 84% 1st fill bourbon casks bring sweetness and vanilla, the Virgin Oak adds spice, and the Bordeaux casks put a fruity edge on it. The result is a smoky whisky with a surprising amount of peach and melon.

What does it mean that the barley comes from Islay?

It means all the barley for this vintage was grown on the island, at eight farms within roughly 15 miles of the distillery. That gives traceability from field to bottle and a whisky that tastes of its place. If you want to know why the grain matters for flavour, read our article on the importance of barley variety for your whisky.

How do I best drink Port Charlotte Islay Barley 2014?

Neat, with a few drops of water if you like. At 50%, a little water opens up the fruit and softens the alcohol edge. Ice dulls both smoke and fruit, so hold off if you want the full picture. A proper whisky glass makes a real difference for the nose.

Why is the whisky called Port Charlotte?

The name comes from the village of Port Charlotte on Islay, where a distillery made whisky from 1829 to 1929, latterly under the name Lochindaal. Bruichladdich revived the name in 2001 for a new, heavily peated whisky. If you want more smoke from the island, there is plenty in our range of Islay Whisky.

Is Port Charlotte Islay Barley 2014 a limited edition?

Yes, it is a limited vintage release. Each Islay Barley vintage is limited by how much barley was harvested that year, so the volume depends on the harvest.