After the brilliance of PC5 & PC6 in my last review, these two have some serious shoes to fill! But I have no doubt that they'll hold their own. In the interest of full disclosure, I've actually already reviewed PC7 (here), but that was almost five years ago now, so I can't resist revisiting this old favourite. And it'll be very interesting to see if my thoughts on it have changed with that extra half-decade of experience. For a quick re-cap, these are the cask strength Port Charlottes known as the 'PC_' series, starting with PC5 that was the first Port Charlotte single malt ever released, hitting the shelves as a 5-year old whisky in 2006. The series ended with the travel-exclusive PC12, which was first bottled in 2014 and finished up in 2015. All are heavily peated to 40 ppm and are bottled at cask strength, all have age statements, and being Bruichladdich single malts they are of course non-chill filtered and naturally coloured. Port Charlotte sits in between Bruichladdich's un-peated namesake whisky and the super-heavily peated Octomore, and is named as a homage to the LochIndaal Distillery in the village of Port Charlotte that closed in 1925. The 'brand' has recently undergone a packaging revamp with a new more modern green bottle and updated label designs, which were previously very similar to that of the Bruichladdich malts. They certainly stand out now!
While we're on the subject of packaging, I'd like to lament the decline of the whisky booklet. Booklets were a common thing in older whisky bottlings, but are becoming scarce, which if you ask me is quite a shame. Things are constantly moving forward in the digital age - and yes I see the irony that I'm writing about this in an online blog post - but there's something about "un-boxing" a special new whisky and reading the accompanying booklet that can't be matched by keying a code into a website or scanning a QR code on your phone. And yes I feel the same about the booklets that no longer appear in CD & game cases. They feel much more real, and give more of a connection to the people that made the whisky/music/game. PC5-7 included booklets with brief information on the series and the specific bottling, but no further, although in fairness Bruichladdich kept this practise up for longer than many other distilleries, most of which only include such luxuries with their very-high end bottlings.
While we're on the subject of packaging, I'd like to lament the decline of the whisky booklet. Booklets were a common thing in older whisky bottlings, but are becoming scarce, which if you ask me is quite a shame. Things are constantly moving forward in the digital age - and yes I see the irony that I'm writing about this in an online blog post - but there's something about "un-boxing" a special new whisky and reading the accompanying booklet that can't be matched by keying a code into a website or scanning a QR code on your phone. And yes I feel the same about the booklets that no longer appear in CD & game cases. They feel much more real, and give more of a connection to the people that made the whisky/music/game. PC5-7 included booklets with brief information on the series and the specific bottling, but no further, although in fairness Bruichladdich kept this practise up for longer than many other distilleries, most of which only include such luxuries with their very-high end bottlings.
First up, PC7. Distilled in 2001 and bottled in 2008 at seven years of age, this release followed the legacy of PC5 more closely than the second release in the series, in that it was matured in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, both coopered from American oak, and although the proportions aren't disclosed I suspect based on taste that there was a reasonable amount of sherry matured-malt in the mix. PC7 was bottled at a cask strength of 61% ABV, so only slightly down on PC6, and it was the largest release so far in the series with 24,000 bottles hitting the shelves, although it ended up being beaten in that regard by the next one in the line-up. PC7's Gaelic name was "Sin An Doigh Ileach", which translates to "It's The Islay Way". What that refers to is the help and support that Bruichladdich received from the Islay locals, known as Ileachs, during it's resurrection and through the early years. Adding to that were the six different outer tins used for PC7, and while the white tins used for PC6 pictured distillery staff, the black tins for PC7 all featured Islay locals, from contractors to farmers to fishermen. In fact one of the six varieties even featured the now-famous James Brown (and a few of his Highland cattle), who's Octomore farm provides the water used for the distillery's Octomore single malts, and the barley used for the Islay Barley _.3 bottlings. Bruichladdich have always felt very strongly that the most important ingredient involved in whisky making is the people who make it and help make it, and it's not just a marketing spiel, it's much more than words. They're extremely passionate about it, and that hasn't changed under Remy Cointreau ownership - the distillery is still the largest single employer on Islay. These tins used for PC7 and the Gaelic name of this whisky are a further testament to that. To quote the official press release at the time, "It's the Islay way, and long may it continue". Hear hear.
Port Charlotte PC7, 7-years old, 61% ABV. Islay, Scotland.
Distilled 2001, bottled 2008. Matured in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry American oak casks. Non-chill filtered and natural colour. 24,000 bottles.
Colour: Copper.
Nose: Oh yes! Boot polish, golden syrup, old leather, earthy peat and sweet raisins. There's a bit of salt and a lovely brown sugar-sweetness behind all that with a slight hint of vanilla cream, charred caramelised pineapple and salted walnuts & almonds. There's a lot going on here, and I love it!
Texture: Fantastic. Medium-heavy weight, rich & oily. Mouth-coating, in fact, and no heat at all.
Taste: Yes! More golden syrup, a few dates, spicy & earthy peat and a lovely deep note of furniture polish and and old leather armchair. In a seven year old whisky, remember! That brown sugar & caramelised pineapple are still there, plus sweet golden sultanas, and slight hints of vanilla cream and sea spray.
Finish: Long! Beautiful thick wood smoke and spicy charred oak. Cinnamon & bitter orange peel, some dark toffee sweetness and a slight hint of burnt banana bread. Then sugary-sweet to the end with more charred pineapple and that earthy peat underneath.
Score: 4.5 out of 5.
Notes: Truly delicious stuff. What a whisky! It's a bit of an enigma really, it's dark & brooding, smoky & spicy, and sweet & tropical all at the same time. Remarkable for the age, and a great example of how age & maturity are two very different things. Another brilliantly-made whisky with huge depth of flavour & character. There's not a hint of roughness or immaturity at all, in fact it drinks well beyond its modest seven years of maturation. PC7 doesn't quite have the massive rich texture & syrupy sweetness of PC6, and I'd have to give the win to the latter in a head-to-head contest, but the seven isn't far behind. Another truly special dram that absolutely deserves its place alongside PC6 in the Bruichladdich history books. Both are absolute magic, and the seven-year old is a little more easily obtained, so Islay fans - you need to get your hands on one of these before it's too late!
And now, Part 2 of Part 2!
PC8 was the fourth and final bottling in the series that was distilled in that first year of Bruichladdich's revival in 2001. Doing away with the changing tin designs, PC8's tin featured the Kilchoman Cross, a 12th century Celtic cross located in Kilchoman Church's graveyard, and the Gaelic name was "Ar Duthchas", which basically translates to "our heritage", referring to the heritage of the Ileachs, the Islay locals, although there is no direct translation into English. As passionate as they are about their people, Bruichladdich are just as passionate about their island home. There's a fairly famous quote from the now-retired Jim McEwan, who was of course responsible for all of these PC releases, where he states that he's not only an ambassador for his distillery, but rather represents Bruichladdich first, then Islay second, and the entire Scotch whisky industry third, and he certainly fulfilled that mission during his career. The cask recipe for PC8 is a little mysterious, only stating that it was matured in American oak and there being no detailed information out there like there is with the other releases, although some sleuthing required in some cases. American oak could mean almost anything in the scheme of things, and it's notably lighter in colour than all of the other releases. Now that doesn't mean there were no sherry casks involved in this one, but if there were, based on flavour profile I suspect there were significantly less of them in the mix. But those are only guesses, and in the end the proof is in the pudding - or rather the drinking. PC8 was bottled at 60.5% ABV, and was the largest release in the series, consisting of 30,000 bottles.
Port Charlotte PC8, 8-years old, 60.5% ABV. Islay, Scotland.
Distilled 2001, bottled 2009. Matured in American oak. Non-chill filtered, natural colour. 30,000 bottles.
Colour: Full gold.
Nose: Brighter, fresher and softer, maybe even a little closed in comparison. There's a bit of a spirit-y prickle to it as well, alongside a big pinch of spicy black pepper. There's also toasted coconut, a damp vegetal peat, some salted caramel, salt-laden driftwood and sea spray. Some fresh liquorice, vanilla custard, floral sweetness and a bit of salted butter come through with more time.
Texture: Medium weight, lighter and a little more raw, with a bit of heat, but still oily & full-flavoured.
Taste: Definitely a much fresher and lighter (in character) dram, but there's no shortage of flavour. Some dark liquorice, a deep crumbly vegetal peat, and a floral sweetness around the edges - bourbon cask-Bruichladdich signature. Some vanilla custard and charred oak, more pepper and a touch of lemon.
Finish: Medium-long length, but again it's lighter and there's more heat and bite to it. Along with more charred oak & liquorice, that vanilla and floral sweetness return underneath that crumbly deep peaty-ness.
Score: 3.5 out of 5.
Notes: It's a lighter, hotter and brasher whisky this, especially in comparison with its younger siblings - even PC5. In fact it feels lighter and perhaps also younger than all of its predecessors. I do think there were either only a few sherry casks involved in this one, or perhaps none at all. That's no bad thing of course, it's just different, but whatever the cause PC8 doesn't quite have the same level of depth and complexity as the other releases. There's a purity to it though, it's maybe more of a typical Islay malt, and there's more Bruichladdich DNA on show here as well with that floral sweetness coming through. But in a 1v1 battle, PC7 easily wins this one in my book.
Overall: Two markedly different drams here! PC7 is more mature, more deep & complex while PC8 is fresher, more spirit-y and a little raw around the edges. Not harsh, just a little raw. There's also a different dimension to the peat character in the eight-year old, it's more vegetal and somehow heavier than the peat that comes through in the younger expressions. So PC7 wins this one, but to be fair it was previously my favourite Port Charlotte of all time - unseated by the PC6 in my last review - so PC8 may have been at a slight disadvantage from the start. As hard as we may try, there's always subjectivity involved in reviewing whisky! So PC6 & PC7 are the winners so far, with PC8 bringing up the rear, but there aren't any real losers in this race. See you next week for Part 3!
Thanks again to the fellow-whisky geek that made these reviews possible - by being so damn generous!
Cheers!
Distilled 2001, bottled 2008. Matured in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry American oak casks. Non-chill filtered and natural colour. 24,000 bottles.
Colour: Copper.
Nose: Oh yes! Boot polish, golden syrup, old leather, earthy peat and sweet raisins. There's a bit of salt and a lovely brown sugar-sweetness behind all that with a slight hint of vanilla cream, charred caramelised pineapple and salted walnuts & almonds. There's a lot going on here, and I love it!
Texture: Fantastic. Medium-heavy weight, rich & oily. Mouth-coating, in fact, and no heat at all.
Taste: Yes! More golden syrup, a few dates, spicy & earthy peat and a lovely deep note of furniture polish and and old leather armchair. In a seven year old whisky, remember! That brown sugar & caramelised pineapple are still there, plus sweet golden sultanas, and slight hints of vanilla cream and sea spray.
Finish: Long! Beautiful thick wood smoke and spicy charred oak. Cinnamon & bitter orange peel, some dark toffee sweetness and a slight hint of burnt banana bread. Then sugary-sweet to the end with more charred pineapple and that earthy peat underneath.
Score: 4.5 out of 5.
Notes: Truly delicious stuff. What a whisky! It's a bit of an enigma really, it's dark & brooding, smoky & spicy, and sweet & tropical all at the same time. Remarkable for the age, and a great example of how age & maturity are two very different things. Another brilliantly-made whisky with huge depth of flavour & character. There's not a hint of roughness or immaturity at all, in fact it drinks well beyond its modest seven years of maturation. PC7 doesn't quite have the massive rich texture & syrupy sweetness of PC6, and I'd have to give the win to the latter in a head-to-head contest, but the seven isn't far behind. Another truly special dram that absolutely deserves its place alongside PC6 in the Bruichladdich history books. Both are absolute magic, and the seven-year old is a little more easily obtained, so Islay fans - you need to get your hands on one of these before it's too late!
And now, Part 2 of Part 2!
PC8 was the fourth and final bottling in the series that was distilled in that first year of Bruichladdich's revival in 2001. Doing away with the changing tin designs, PC8's tin featured the Kilchoman Cross, a 12th century Celtic cross located in Kilchoman Church's graveyard, and the Gaelic name was "Ar Duthchas", which basically translates to "our heritage", referring to the heritage of the Ileachs, the Islay locals, although there is no direct translation into English. As passionate as they are about their people, Bruichladdich are just as passionate about their island home. There's a fairly famous quote from the now-retired Jim McEwan, who was of course responsible for all of these PC releases, where he states that he's not only an ambassador for his distillery, but rather represents Bruichladdich first, then Islay second, and the entire Scotch whisky industry third, and he certainly fulfilled that mission during his career. The cask recipe for PC8 is a little mysterious, only stating that it was matured in American oak and there being no detailed information out there like there is with the other releases, although some sleuthing required in some cases. American oak could mean almost anything in the scheme of things, and it's notably lighter in colour than all of the other releases. Now that doesn't mean there were no sherry casks involved in this one, but if there were, based on flavour profile I suspect there were significantly less of them in the mix. But those are only guesses, and in the end the proof is in the pudding - or rather the drinking. PC8 was bottled at 60.5% ABV, and was the largest release in the series, consisting of 30,000 bottles.
Distilled 2001, bottled 2009. Matured in American oak. Non-chill filtered, natural colour. 30,000 bottles.
Colour: Full gold.
Nose: Brighter, fresher and softer, maybe even a little closed in comparison. There's a bit of a spirit-y prickle to it as well, alongside a big pinch of spicy black pepper. There's also toasted coconut, a damp vegetal peat, some salted caramel, salt-laden driftwood and sea spray. Some fresh liquorice, vanilla custard, floral sweetness and a bit of salted butter come through with more time.
Texture: Medium weight, lighter and a little more raw, with a bit of heat, but still oily & full-flavoured.
Taste: Definitely a much fresher and lighter (in character) dram, but there's no shortage of flavour. Some dark liquorice, a deep crumbly vegetal peat, and a floral sweetness around the edges - bourbon cask-Bruichladdich signature. Some vanilla custard and charred oak, more pepper and a touch of lemon.
Finish: Medium-long length, but again it's lighter and there's more heat and bite to it. Along with more charred oak & liquorice, that vanilla and floral sweetness return underneath that crumbly deep peaty-ness.
Score: 3.5 out of 5.
Notes: It's a lighter, hotter and brasher whisky this, especially in comparison with its younger siblings - even PC5. In fact it feels lighter and perhaps also younger than all of its predecessors. I do think there were either only a few sherry casks involved in this one, or perhaps none at all. That's no bad thing of course, it's just different, but whatever the cause PC8 doesn't quite have the same level of depth and complexity as the other releases. There's a purity to it though, it's maybe more of a typical Islay malt, and there's more Bruichladdich DNA on show here as well with that floral sweetness coming through. But in a 1v1 battle, PC7 easily wins this one in my book.
Overall: Two markedly different drams here! PC7 is more mature, more deep & complex while PC8 is fresher, more spirit-y and a little raw around the edges. Not harsh, just a little raw. There's also a different dimension to the peat character in the eight-year old, it's more vegetal and somehow heavier than the peat that comes through in the younger expressions. So PC7 wins this one, but to be fair it was previously my favourite Port Charlotte of all time - unseated by the PC6 in my last review - so PC8 may have been at a slight disadvantage from the start. As hard as we may try, there's always subjectivity involved in reviewing whisky! So PC6 & PC7 are the winners so far, with PC8 bringing up the rear, but there aren't any real losers in this race. See you next week for Part 3!
Thanks again to the fellow-whisky geek that made these reviews possible - by being so damn generous!
Cheers!
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