In honor of Mathilda's seventh birthday,
here's the seventh in a series of relevant tasting notes:
Friday, May 14, 2021
Wednesday, May 12, 2021
Port Charlotte Taste Off -- PC8 and PC10 and PC12
(Port Charlotte cluster homepage)
I reviewed PC5, 6 and 7 last Friday, survived the experience and will now resume the Port Charlotte cluster with three more members of the PC series. The PC6 and PC7 were excellent, and now I'll see if they'll be matched or bettered by their older siblings, the PC8, PC10 and PC12.
Like its predecessors, Port Charlotte 8 year old PC8 Ar Dùthchas was distilled in 2001, Bruichladdich's first year of running the Port Charlotte malt. Released from 2009 to 2011, PC8 had the largest of the PC outturns, 30,000 bottles. It seems to have been matured only in American oak, and was bottled at skinny-for-PC 60.5%abv. This sample was from a bottle split.
Port Charlotte 10 year old PC10 Tro Na Linntean was distilled in 2002 rather than 2001 (did they run low on inaugural vintage casks?), and bottled in 2012. It also had one of the smallest of the PC outturns, only 6,000 bottles. It weighs in at 59.8%abv and, like the 8, it was matured in American oak (per the Internet). This sample was donated to me by St. Brett of Riverside. Thank you, sir.
The final member of the series, Port Charlotte 12 year old PC12 Oileanach Furachail made its debut in Travel Retail shops in 2014, then later found its way to European retailers. 12,000 bottles were released across at least three batches (2014, 2015 and 2016). I don't know anything about its maturation vessels since that was again kept curiously quiet by the producers. Serge tried a dud from 2015, and thinks some wine casks were in that mix. Using math skillz, I'm going to guess the whisky was distilled in 2002. Using reading skillz, I'll state the abv was 58.7%. This sample was purchased.
A toast to spring, wherever it is!
Port Charlotte 8 year old PC8 Ar Dùthchas, 60.5%abv
The nose has malt, seaweed, anise and cantaloupe in the midground, but wasabi and smoked miso (a thing?) are right up front. It's the wasabiest whisky I've ever smelled. It picks up more peat, farm and stone fruit with time. Reducing the whisky to 50%abv simplifies the nose, keeping it focused on nuts, stones, miso and mesquite smoke.
The very earthy palate is loaded with soil, stones and cut grass. Charred meat and black walnuts fill the middle. Limes and a few drops of peach juice give it a little bit of tartness and sweetness. Somehow the palate intensifies at 50%abv. More smoke, minerals and heat. No fruit, less earthiness. Maybe a hint of soap.
Like the earlier PCs, this whisky is sootiest in its finish. Soot soot soot and salt, with moments of tart apples and limes. Things don't change much when the whisky is diluted to 50%abv. It's tart, salty and sooty.
PC8 approaches the monolithic style of some Octomores, but the fruity moments and great nose lift it up. Despite the whisky's massive nature, I don't recommend diluting it. It must be taken head on. It's very good, but (and I know this sounds like heresy, again) maybe a fortified wine cask or two could have elevated it further?
RATING - 88
Port Charlotte 10 year old PC10 Tro Na Linntean, 59.8%abv
At first the nose is identical to PC8's, and requires 10-15 minutes for it to go off on its own. Then it gets chalkier and hotter, with more classic peat smoke. It also picks up notes of white chocolate, yuzu, brine and new sneakers. Diluting it to 50%abv adds flowers and apples, reducing the smoke. Some chalk and white chocolate remain in the background.
The palate begins with an odd mixture of red wine and low-ester Hampden rum. It's quite acidic and the smoke drifts from a mineral style to bitterness with time. Maybe some milk chocolate in the back. At 50%abv it's salty and rummy. Some mild sweetness and woody bitterness. A little weird, honestly.
Back to the Jamaican rum and mineral smoke in the finish. Acidic and hot. Reducing the whisky to 50%abv adds limes and band-aids but also turns it bitterer.
What was in that "American oak" before Port Charlotte was applied? PC10 gets points for being different than the rest, but it's also chaotic in a way that's not always forgivable. This is certainly not the strongest of the bunch. Love the nose, though!
RATING - 83
Port Charlotte 12 year old PC12 Oileanach Furachail, 58.7%abv
Ah the nose shows the great seaweed and miso combo again. A mineral, earthy smoke sneaks in. Smaller notes of Twix bars, cherries, limes, yuzu and salty potato chips add angles and corners. The nose gains focus at 50%abv, with seaweed, miso, pine, limes and a farmy whiff.
Starting to see some more mature peated whisky now, especially in the palate. Not much heat, moderate smoke, a slight inkiness. Lemons and black walnuts. Berries, grapefruits and nectarines. Despite all that fruit, the whisky never gets too sweet. Reduced to 50%abv, the palate takes on more minerals, as well as hints of kiln and earth. Just a touch of the tart fruits in the background.
It finishes with black walnuts, cocoa powder, wood smoke, a little bit of tart fruit and the nose's salty potato chips. When diluted to 50%abv, the finish matches the palate, adding a little more tartness.
Next to PC7, this is the most complex of the bunch. There may be a variety of casks at work here, but they come together very well, resulting the least wild PC of the six I've tried. The extra age doesn't hurt either. It has me wishing I hadn't waited so long to try it, so that I could have bought a bottle at its original price. Oh well. If you have a bottle of PC12, I hope it's more like this whisky than the one Serge had tried.
RATING - 89
As I had hoped, this was an impressive range of whiskies from 5 to 12 years old. It's too bad Remy Cointreau killed off the series after PC12. At least they could have later offered up a regular 12yo Cask Strength as an upscale counterpart to the excellent standard 10 year old. Seriously, they should consider trying out a non-winey full-powered Port Charlotte in the regular range. It could be some of the best stuff on the island.
Next week, I'll assess the cluster at its halfway point, then continue on.
Monday, May 10, 2021
Writers' Tears Copper Pot Irish whiskey
Many things make writers cry. "Receiving a good paycheck" would probably top the list. "A broken heart" would be second. And "a career ruined by substance abuse" would be third. A Steve Harvey-hosted Authors' Family Feud episode just writes itself! ← Those italicized words would be a close fourth.
I'm not suggesting Walsh Whiskey references #3 in the name of their 60% single malt / 40% single pot still blended whiskey (possibly from Midleton distillery), but it's difficult for a writing enthusiast to ignore it. Writers' Tears seems like a high-end blend as it ditches the cheaper column still filler for two heavier-hitting whiskey types, but the fact that they chose to dilute the whiskey to the legal limit may also inspire tears. Sláinte!
Bottler: Walsh Whiskey
Country: Ireland
Style: Blended Whiskey
Style: Blended Whiskey
Contents: 60% Single Malt / 40% Single Pot Still (undisclosed distilleries)
Age: NAS
Age: NAS
Maturation: American oak
Alcohol by Volume: 40%
(thank you to Slugger for the sample!)
(thank you to Slugger for the sample!)
NOTES
Its super-fruity nose stars with canned pears, peach hard candies and this blood orange sidecar. Small notes of Twizzlers, cardamom and cut grass develop with time. The palate is lightly floral with hints of ginger candy, malt and cardboard. It also has an IPA-like bitter + grapefruit note right up front. The brief finish is mostly pears and paper with a dusting of ginger powder and cayenne pepper.
WORDS WORDS WORDS
The nose is quite lovely and sets expectations that the palate cannot meet; in fact the significant gulf between those two is damned shame. They're sunshine and a shrug. Bottling the whiskey at an 40%abv doesn't do anyone other than the bean counters any favors, leaving the blend reading just slightly more interesting than other Irish whiskies at half its price. Despite this issue, I'm left intrigued about Writers' Tears potential, wondering if its other 46+%abv expressions are more successful.
Friday, May 7, 2021
Port Charlotte Taste Off -- PC5, PC6, PC7
(Port Charlotte cluster homepage)
Back to the Port Charlotte cluster!
Port Charlotte kicked off their fierce cask-strength PC series in 2006 with a five-year-old full-powered whisky distilled in the malt's rookie year of 2001, and ended it with the 12-year-old PC12 in 2014. Some of the PCs were all bourbon cask, while others had a few fortified wine casks tossed in.
My first Port Charlottes were a few SMWS releases that were nearly unpalatable at the 65-66%abv range. The "funny" SMWS names for those creatures should have been Pain Shartlotte, Who Needs an Esophagus Anyway, and I Can't Feel My Legs Keyser.
Thankfully PC7 and I met up just a few months later on a frigid 70ºF Costa Mesa winter evening, and I've been a fan of that series ever since. So it is my great pleasure to hold today's Taste Off, while hydrating appropriately.
As mentioned above, Port Charlotte PC5 Evolution was the first PC, distilled in 2001 and bottled 2006. Aged entirely in former bourbon casks, PC5 had a limited outturn of 6,038 bottles. It weighs in at 63.5%abv, so I'm stupidly letting it bat leadoff. My sample is from a bottle split.
Port Charlotte PC6 Cuairt-Beatha ("Walk of Life") enjoyed six years of maturation in a mix of bourbon and Madeira casks. Bruichladdich gave it a much bigger release, turning out 18,000 bottles in 2007. PC6 tiptoes in at 61.6%abv. This sample was also from a bottle split.
Port Charlote PC7 Sin An Doigh Ileach ("Brothers in Arms"; Ha! Just kidding. "It's the Islay Way" is probably more accurate.) spent its seven years in bourbon and oloroso casks, and had a 24000 bottle release in 2008. This pour was saved from my own bottle that I reviewed more than five years ago.
LET'S GET CHAR-LIT!
Port Charlotte 5 year old PC5 Evolution, 63.5%abv
While there is indeed plenty of heat in the nose, there's also a good mix of seaweed and smoke stack. Then a combo of saline, bacon, walnuts and apples. Those walnuts slowly develop into roasted almonds. Metal notes sneak in over time, as does some more classic peat smoke. Reducing the whisky to 50%abv brings on more manure, hay and earth, but also some white fruits and honey. Some almond butter and moss drift through the background.
Regarding the palate, here are my first notes: "Startling in its violence" and "Ashes of the dead". I can offer more words, like "salt" and "burnt peat". "Stones and metal". It takes more than a half hour before the dried apricots, dried mango and tangy lemons show up. At 50%abv, the whisky reads smokier than Octomore, though it's not monolithic. It has some sweet citrus, raw walnuts, black pepper and plenty of salt.
It finishes with soil, dried fruits, dried grass, tangy lemons and loads of soot. Diluted to 50%abv, the whisky ends with pepper, salt, wood smoke and a touch of sweetness.
While certainly bracing, PC5 isn't debilitating like those aforementioned SMWS casks. This is the most naked of the PCs, showing itself to be a work in progress, though a very good one. PC5 came out more than a decade before the newest crop of distilleries started dropping their barely legal raw whiskies onto the market, so one can imagine the excitement and dreams about the future this stirred up in 2006. Though I'd love to drink this again someday, I think it's too brutal for more than 0.5-1.0 ounce at a time.
RATING - 85
Port Charlotte 6 year old PC6 Cuairt-Beatha, 61.6%abv
The nose begins with more ocean and more(!) smoke than the PC5, but then gains walnuts, pears, nectarines and honey. It gets a little fusty and farmy with time. Oh, and a note of cuddly warm dog fur. Diluted to 50%abv, the whisky becomes comfier, though plenty strong with vivid ocean notes and a hint of manure. Cardamom, cloves and white peaches roll beneath.
The palate is gorgeously bitter and tart, with grapefruits and limes and herbs, covered by mineral- and moss-laced smoke. After 30 minutes it evolves into good green grapes and honey in a cigar lounge. That great herbal bitterness continues when the whisky is reduced to 50%abv. Lots of lemons and limes. Hints of mint candy and pink peppercorns. Hulking kiln smoke.
It finishes with a layer of dark smoke on top, sea salt and tart citrus in the middle, and a balance of sweet and bitter on the bottom. At 50%abv, it finishes with dried herbs, kiln, limes and mint candy.
What difference between years five and six! I'm not sure if the casks came from a different part of the warehouse or the Madeira casks helped pull the elements together, but this is no longer just a work in progress, it's a complete whisky. I'm not sure there was a single whisky (whether six years or fourteen) in the Kilchoman cluster that could match the PC6.
RATING - 89
Port Charlotte 7 year old PC7 Sin An Doigh Ileach, 61.0%abv
You're going to get lists for this nose. First there's ocean water, pears, pecans and molasses. Twenty minutes later: beach smoke, golden syrup and chalk dust. Thirty minutes in: pineapples, oranges and a hint of eau de vie. Down at 50%abv, it leads with grilled fruit and roasted nuts. Seaweed and miso. Bits of brown sugar and anise.
The palate leads with tart berries, dried currants, cigarette smoke, salty savory miso broth, dried herbs, zippy chiles. It balances sweet, tart, bitter, smoke, savory and salt. All things shining. Everything stays locked in when the whisky is reduced to 50%abv. A little less sugar, a little more salt. A sturdy savoriness. Herbal smoke, lime juice and a little bit of basement.
Dark chocolate appears in the finish, along with salt, stones, chiles, roasted nuts and a hint of dried herbs. It gets savorier at 50%abv, and gains limes, chiles and mint leaves.
To me, this can stand up with the best Laphroaig 10yo CS and Lagavulin 12yo CS batches. The balance, complexity and delivery are remarkable. The oloroso casks do their duty well because they stay back, highlighting and framing the great bourbon cask elements. Though I dearly hope this wasn't peak Port Charlotte, I'm not sure how it can be topped.
RATING - 91
It was with this Taste Off in mind that I put together the Port Charlotte cluster, lining up whiskies I adore to see if perspective broadens my experience. Mark it a success! That was a lot of alcohol, but I’ve lived to tell another tale. If my body naively forgives me, I'll test it again with another PC lineup next week. Stay tuned!
Wednesday, May 5, 2021
Heaven Hill Bottled-In-Bond Taste Off: 6 year old vs 7 year old
My WT101 naïveté did not extend to Heaven Hill 6yo BIB. I think we all knew it was going to be discontinued, especially in its $10-$15 price point. Then Heaven Hill Distillery fulfilled all cynical expectations by going Full Coke Dealer by adding one year to the expression and tripling the price on its customers. Retailers were only happy to pile on further.
One could certainly argue the 6yo whiskey was underpriced, and I would have been comfortable paying $25-$30 for the same whiskey, but now the 7yo averages $68 at retail stores (per Winesearcher). Yes, you read that correctly. You may indeed find yourself in an American liquor store that charges more for a 7 year old Heaven Hill product than a 12 year old single malt scotch. This why I don't indulge in American whiskey much beyond good cocktail ingredients.
Heaven Hill 6 year old Bottled-in-Bond was excellent in cocktails, and pretty decent on its own. Just before that expression vaporized, I bought four bottles (for $11.99 each!) from its home state of Kentucky. Now I'm down to two. Today's sample comes from about the halfway point of the bottle I finished a few months ago.
Despite my gripes about everyone connected to the 7 year old expression, I really do want to try the stuff. So I am thankful to have participated in a bottle split.
Heaven Hill 6 year old BIB, 50%abv, from my bottle
The nose balances dried berries, oak spice and barrel char up front, with vanilla bean, leather and cherry candy in the background. Hints of tangerines and pine sap gradually emerge.
Though less complex than the nose, the palate has a good tart citrus note to go with the sweet cherries and black pepper. A spot of savory tea floats in the background.
It finishes with cherries, bananas, caramel and black pepper.
It brightens up when served on one big ice cube, turning into honey and oranges with a dash of salt.
A relic from another time, Heaven Hill 6 year old BIB was one of life's little joys. I wish I'd known about it years earlier so I wouldn't have had to wince down a parliament of declining $25 scotch blends in the search for a tasty deal. Though this is my third review of this bourbon, it's the first time I've really appreciated how well it worked on ice. (Yes this is really me.) So I'm going to give it a couple more points this time.
RATING - 84
Heaven Hill 7 year old BIB, 50%abv, from a bottle split
The nose begins with sherry-like dried fruits and chocolate. The wood is so much heavier here than in the 6yo, and comes close to overwhelming the rest of the elements. Hints of oranges, peach skin and armagnac boost it slightly.
Mostly woody, peppery and savory, the palate does allow in the occasional apricot and plum. Quite tannic, though.
Luckily those stone fruits stick around into the finish because the tannins and peppercorns are very aggressive.
It's dry and woody when served on one big ice cube, with occasional hints of bananas and black pepper.
Though it certainly has heft and age, the 7 year old does nothing for me. It smells good, as do a lot of oak juices, but the palate seems dimensionless next to the 6 year old. All that oak reads generic, as if this could be one of the many faceless bourbons on the market. Drinking the bourbon has changed my mind; I wouldn't spend $25-$30 on this, let alone the current asking price.
RATING - 76
Though I don't like the 7's price, I understand it from a financial perspective since the market bears it. But I do not understand why Heaven Hill changed the bourbon's style. Did they do it so drinkers wouldn't complain about paying quintuple the price for the same bourbon? Because, IMO, people are paying quintuple the price for a lesser bourbon, a bourbon that doesn't even surpass Heaven Hill's cheaper products. For instance, it's of a similar quality to Elijah Craig Small Batch, but at twice the price. I'm sure Heaven Hill is weeping into their platinum tissues over my post, but it didn't have to be this way.
Monday, May 3, 2021
Wild Turkey 101 Rye Taste Off: 2011 bottling versus 2018 bottling
In 2012, Wild Turkey 101 Rye was great and it was $20. I remember one of Bacardi's distributors telling me that demand had exceeded supply, and that 101 Rye would soon disappear from shelves. In my 2012 naïveté I thought, "Huh, that sounds kinda concerning." The rye was gone that very month.
Three years later it returned with a 50%-100% price jump and a 33% larger bottle (750mL to 1000mL). It was another four years before I bought a bottle of the new stuff. And it took me another two years to do this comparison.
And only now am I appreciating how much more useful this review would have been SIX YEARS AGO. Nothing if not timely around here.
 |
| I could have taken a worse picture too, but that would've just been showing off. |
The sample of the old label 2011 bottling on the left was from the bottle I reviewed 105 moons ago. The sample on the right is from the 2018 bottling I bought and finished in 2019-2020. Both ryes performed very well in Manhattans and Old Fashioneds, here's a look at the two served neatly:
Wild Turkey 101 Rye, 50.5%abv, bottled 2011
In the nose, apples and pears stew slowly with cinnamon and cloves. Smaller notes of thyme, blossoms and creamsicles float in and out. Gentle barrel char mixes with cherry bubblegum.
Fresh cherries and cherry lollipops meet in the palate, followed by ginger beer, sweet red plums, cassis and applesauce. The char moves from the rear to the fore with time, though the fruits always remain.
The cherries, plums and ginger remain in the finish, with a pinch of pepper in the background.
Wow, this was great! I'd even keep it away from the cocktails and just sip it neatly. Between this, the earlier Rittenhouse BIBs and Willett's LDI single barrels, we were spoiled ten years ago. I should have bought more etc., etc., etc. Damn.
RATING - 88
Wild Turkey 101 Rye, 50.5%abv, bottled 2018
The nose begins simpler. Plenty of cherries, some split lumber, more citrus and cardamom. More pepper, more ethyl. Mint, flowers and something beefy in the background.
The palate feels rougher, slightly hotter. I find more char and peppercorns, reminding me of the 101 Bourbon. Moderate notes of soil, salt and savory roll through the midground. Cherry lollies and apricots highlight the background.
Barrel char leads the finish, with cherries and salt appearing later.
Compared to the 2011, this one has more aggressive oak and youthful jagged edges. It's fine and sturdy on its own but works much better when giving Manhattans more heft. And if you dare to pour it over one large ice cube, you may find it does its job as a summer sipper.
RATING - 82
Though the 2011 wins outright with its fruits and gentler maturation, it's not like one can just choose between these two ryes in a store. The latter bottling is what's on the shelf, and the former is priced high on the secondary market. No, the current edition isn't $20, but at $34 for one liter, it's one of the better options in that price range in most states. (Though I'd give Old Forester Rye the edge.)
Friday, April 30, 2021
Port Charlotte Taste Off -- CC:01, MRC: 01, OCL:01
(Port Charlotte cluster homepage)
The Port Charlotte Cluster continues! Today, it's a taste-off between three members of the distillery's Cask Exploration Series.
8 year old 2007 CC:01 was originally a Travel Retail release, before it trickled out to European retailers. Today's bottle comes from Haneda Airport Duty Free, at the end of my 2017 trip. Yes indeed, this review pour will be from an actual bottle of mine, a bottle of which I have no pictures but this of the tin:
While CC:01 had its entire maturation in French oak casks, 7 year old 2010 MRC:01 had a few things going on. It married whisky from 1st fill American whiskey casks and 2nd fill French wine casks for one year "in the finest French oak from the Bordeaux left bank". At least some portion of those casks come from Mouton Rothschild, thus the MRC. Today's sample comes from a bottle split.
We go from 1 element (CC:01) to 3 elements (MRC:01) to 5 elements with 9 year old 2010 OLC:01. Here's how it was built:
30% had its initial maturation in 1st fill American whiskey casks
40% had its initial maturation in 2nd fill American whiskey casks
25% had its initial maturation in Vin Doux Naturel (sweeties from the South of France) casks
5% had its initial maturation in 2nd fill Syrah casks
Then it's all vatted and finished in 1st fill Oloroso hoggies for 18 months.
I can't say I'm particularly excited about this goulash, and probably wouldn't have gone in on a bottle split if I knew it was this Black FArt-ish.
How about a Taste Off?
Port Charlotte 8 year old 2007 CC:01, 57.8%abv
The nose is very yeasty and slightly rubbery. A curious mix of band-aids, eau-de-vie and sugary hard candy follows. Saline, carrot cake and cherry blossoms rest on top of old newspaper print in the background. Reducing it to 46%abv brings out that odd Bruichladdich note that PCs usually avoid (for me). Here it's baby spit-up, specifically rejected oatmeal and applesauce. Sooooo much oatmeal. Then there's peated newmake, saline and a hint of cruciferous veg.
The palate begins with nutmeg, cinnamon and raw walnuts. Plenty of mossy peat. Its brown sugar sweetness builds with time, as do the baking spices. An intense raw heat runs throughout. Once diluted to 46%abv, it reads like tangy gingery peated newmake. Just a hint of the yeast and oatmeal linger behind.
It finishes hot, salty and smoky. All sweetness has vanished. At 46%abv, it gets sweeter and tangier, while its smoke becomes peppery
It took years to get through this bottle since I was never terribly excited about its contents. It's one of the hotter whiskies I've tried recently, reading considerably north of 60%abv, and it feels like 3 or 4 years old on the palate. This was the first time I noticed the butyric element that MAO found prominently in the whisky. It's not terrible stuff, it's just very raw. I should have bought a sample rather than a whole bottle.
RATING - 82
Port Charlotte 7 year old 2010 MRC:01, 59.2%abv
The nose has its fruity side — melon, pear juice and fruit cocktail — and an Islay Barley-style peatiness. There's also the same saline note found in the CC:01. It gets sootier and ashier with time, and then picks up a berry-ful Petite Sirah note. Once the whisky is reduced to 46%abv, the nose changes course, getting beefier and a bit sulfurous. There's sneaker peat, tennis ball peat, dijon mustard and miso. Iodine-laced Luxardo cherries.
The palate leads with lots of red wine and big ashy salty peat. Lemon juice and gravel sit in the middle. Candied ginger and cherry syrup in the back. At 46%abv, the palate picks up more flowers and berries, as well as shisha smoke and extinguished matches.
Big wine and big peat in the finish as well. It's tangy and slightly acidic, getting ashier with time. With the whisky at 46%abv, the finish matches the palate.
Even though this very large whisky was produced by Remy Cointreau, it follows Murray McDavid's lead by illustrating subtraction via addition. All of the whisky's Big parts remain Big separately, and one wonders if this could have been improved had its final year (or more) been spent in refill American oak, letting all the parts marry, rather than bombarding it with more wine. There was a path to make this single malt great, instead it is just loud.
RATING - 83
Port Charlotte 9 year old 2010 OLC:01, 55.1%abv
Candy shop notes flow through the nose. Toasted marshmallow, toasted coconut, circus peanuts and a bag of gummy worms. Cut grass and orange zest, too. That saline note pops up again, linking these three whiskies in a minor way. It's also the least peaty of the three, with its gentle beachy smoke. Reducing the whisky to 46%abv gives the nose some focus. Consider, if you will, an iced cinnamon roll topped with toasted coconut, with some orange zest and saline in the distance.
Its palate is also the mildest of the three, lightly sweet and citric, with a mix of mossy and woody smoke. It gets sweeter with time as a mix of ginger and orange hard candy pushes to the front. At 46%abv, the palate is floral and sweet, with toasted marshmallows and orange candy. There's more pepper than peat present.
It finishes with mint candy and orange candy. Cayenne pepper and ash. At 46%abv, it's all pepper and citrus.
This is the least "Port Charlotte" of any Port Charlotte I've tried. In fact it seems more like a Doc Lumsden creation than a PC. It's very friendly, and much better organized than the MRC:01. Perhaps this is a Port Charlotte for people who don't like Port Charlotte? It's probably the best built of the three (and my favorite in the moment), and I would certainly drink it again.
RATING - 85
That could have gone better or worse. None of these tops the Islay Barley releases nor the current 10 year old, but none were real failures. The CC:01 and MRC:01 were problematic, the former half-cooked, the latter wine-soaked. The OLC:01 was nearly neutered, but an easy, pretty drink. I can confidently state there will be no further "cask exploration" during the remainder of this cluster. There are many many better PCs to drink. I think.
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