Two Port Charlotte private casks

(Port Charlotte cluster homepage)

Once upon a time, Bruichladdich distillery offered up private casks for all, right on their website. Those of you who went ahead and bought your own are some lucky sons of bi......rhting people (yeah, birthing people, that's the ticket). Those of you who bought your own casks of Port Charlotte, um, can we be friends?

I was very lucky to get in on bottle splits from two private Port Charlotte casks, both distilled in 2003, both from sherry hogsheads. It's the closest I'll ever get to the glory.

Port Charlotte 12 year old 2003, sherry hogshead #863, bottled by the distillery, 50%abv

The nose's two elements merge well. Peat, smoked fish, beach air and rotting kelp on one side. Plums, fruity cinnamon and cherry jam on the other. Hints of gunpowder and charred veg dot the background. Reducing it a little to 46%abv slightly calms the cask influence. More kiln and dried herb notes. Some mint and anise. Strawberry bubblegum!

The palate is SALTY, then smoky. Slightly meaty. Ah, cherry cola (complete with a fizziness). It gets much sweeter with time, developing notes of dried cherries and berries, as the cask moves to the front. It's much bitterer when diluted to 46%abv. It has a sharp raw bite and lots of soot, sort of Ardbeggish. Hints of almond extract and burnt raisins appear after a while.

It finishes sweet and smoky, and hotter than expected. Dried cranberries floating in Cherry Coke. Again, reducing it to 46%abv toughens it up. Burnt raisins, rooty bitterness and salty smoke remain.

I love how the cask and spirit play together in the nose, though it's more chaotic in the palate. In fact the palate's massive transition brought about with minimal dilution is a bit startling. The cask disappears and the whisky's age seems to get cut in half, if not a third. It's a bit wild overall, and one wonders if it was bottled at this age out of fear of a dropping abv, rather than the whisky being fully ready. It's still pretty good but it has a tough sparring partner.

RATING - 85 (neat only)

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Port Charlotte 14 year old 2003, refill sherry hogshead #857, bottled by the Whiskybroker, 60%abv

The nose has at least three different gears. First, there's heavy smoke, seaweed, spun sugar and cherry jam. Next, it shifts to dried cherries and dried blueberries, almond butter and dark chocolate. Then, 30+ minutes in, the smoke eases off leaving behind a kind of toffee brittle. Reducing the whisky to 50% brings focus. Less cask, more spirit. Diesel, seaweed, smoked almonds and iodine.

There's less smoke in the palate than the nose. Rather it's grounded in earth and minerals, with hints of ginger ale and lemon juice, all wrapped in a gentle orchard fruit sweetness. It's very approachable for 60%abv. Dropping the ABV to 50% brings out wood smoke, brine and a touch of herbal bitterness. The sweetness remains mild, and picks up a slight metallic side.

The finish is magically less hot than its 12yo 50%abv sibling. It has a great balance of earth, minerals, nuts, citrus and sweetness. Diluting the whisky to 50%abv results in a finish that matches the palate, with little more savoriness.

A great cask. Though the nose is more complex, the palate is probably flawless. I adore the way its elements work together, and how welcoming it is despite its high strength. I cannot imagine having an entire freaking cask of whisky like this. Kudos to all involved.

RATING - 90

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There must be some of you out there who've tried (or owned!) a Port Charlotte private cask. What was your experience? Has anyone tried the bloodtubs of ancient lore? Please comment below because I would like to live vicariously through you.

Assessing the Port Charlotte cluster at the halfway point

(Port Charlotte cluster homepage)

I'm enjoying this Port Charlotte cluster a lot more than the Kilchoman cluster. It's not just because the whiskies are better so far, but I like the once-a-week pacing. Though someone did suggest I speed up the Port Charlotte reviews, spacing out the tastings has kept me from getting burned out on these cask strength hammers. Sorry about that, Anonymous!

Port Charlotte single malt is not as "brutalist" as I'd remembered it to be. Only one of the whiskies has been "jagged and stark" (my words from the intro), specifically the PC5, understandably a bruiser at 63.5%abv and 5 years of age. Instead, there has been a variety of styles, with different mixes of fruits and nuts and complex phenolics appearing in each whisky. I'm quite smitten with a seaweed + miso note that keeps appearing, especially when it's countered by bright fruits.

The high quality of the PC series was no surprise, and I'm disappointed that Rémy Cointreau ended it. There would have been an audience for a PC or two made with the excellent Islay Barley malt, once the warehouses had enough stock. I don't mind enjoying the great Islay Barley vintages at their 50%abv release strength, but the "what ifs" won't go away.

Sadly, I cannot provide any consistency with my Port Charlotte + Wine Cask takes. Sometimes I want more cask variety, sometimes less. That's why I cannot be against all wine (or non-sherry fortified wine) cask releases. Sometimes, when a good blending team has the right casks and the right recipe, a balance is struck and a new complex whisky is born. Without those elements, the whisky results in one of those gruesome indie Murray McDavid single cask products.

Speaking of Murray McDavid (segue!), I'm hesitant to opine on who did Port Charlotte better: Mark Reynier's MMcD or Big Rémy. All of this cluster's whisky was distilled by Murray McDavid, while all but one of the non-PCs were bottled by Rémy, and all but one of the PCs were bottled by Murray McDavid. So there's a lot of crossover.

One thing has been consistent about these 13 whiskies; they were all official bottlings. It's time go older and off-road with the next 11 Port Charlottes. There will be indies, unique officials and a lot of teenage(!) single malt. I'm even opening up two of......hold on I'm getting the vapors......my bottles for the final week. 

<10yo Port Charlotte was great, will >10yo be even better?

Pair 'a Mhors, or Two Glen Mhors

Yes, I know it's pronounced "Vor", you party poopers.

These two samples of Glen Mhor were obtained from Los Angeles Scotch Club events several years ago., and they've been staring up at me from the stash ever since. So, in continuing honor of Mathilda's seventh birthday the whiskies are being consumed.

I didn't like my sample photos, so I cobbled the above image from
these two Whiskybase sites:
here and here.

Glen Mhor 1965-1997 Gordon & MacPhail, 40%abv

The nose starts with whole wheat bread and Sambuca. Toffee and sesame oil follow next, then hints of smoke and mothballs. With time, the anise note switches to Good 'n Plenty candies .

Massive oaky bitterness weighs upon the entire palate. Somewhere in the middle there' s a spicy cigar's tobacco leaf wrapper. Hints of anise, eucalyptus and fig stay far beneath.

The small notes of cigar wrapper, eucalyptus and fig linger in to the finish, but tannins remain on top, and a mild sweetness sits in the middle.

This whisky was much darker than the other, which I thought was due to sherry casks or e150a. But perhaps it's from all that damned oak. Usually I criticize under-baked whiskies, but this one is over-baked to the point that it reminds me of Diageo's Orphan Barrel bourbons. Luckily, this one's intriguing nose and slight figginess lift it above, say, Forged Oak.

RATING - 80

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Glen Mhor 28 year old 1976 Rare Malts, 51.9%abv

Candy shop, Sauvignon blanc, grilled pears and apple cider fill the nose, with softer notes of citrussy honey and saltwater taffy peeking out from the background.

Heather, stony minerals and lime lead the crisp palate. Subtle notes of croissant(!) and chile oil develop with time. Zero sweetness here.

It finishes with minerals, chile oil, flower petals and lime. Maybe a hint of smoke.

This is what happens when the casks don't overpower the spirit. It's bright but lean, reading like a cousin of yesterday's Littlemill, which is good company to keep. This Rare Malts series continues to live up to its reputation. I really did get into whisky a couple years too late.

RATING - 88

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This illustrates how cask selection and warehouse management, rather than distillery "style", can determine a whisky's characteristics. In this case, it's difficult to believe these two whiskies came from the same distillery. One is all tannins and tobacco, while the other is crisply citrus and minerals. I'll always favor the latter.

Mathilda Malt: Littlemill 25 year old 1988 for K&L

As mentioned in Friday's post, my older daughter, Mathilda, just turned seven. To celebrate each of her previous birthdays on the blog, I've lavished praise upon her and then reviewed a Littlemill. At some point soon, I'll run out of Littlemill samples, which will be a beautiful thing because that will mean I have enjoyed a lot of Littlemills.

But I don't feel comfortable writing extensively about my family right now. This would still be the case if I knew all of you personally. I used to freely and publicly write about personal matters, sometimes right here on this blog, but things are not as they once were. I feel very protective of the Rube Goldberg machine that is my internal life, and even more protective of my remarkable daughters.

In high school I had a habit of calling one of my best buddies on the phone to tell him when I couldn't hang out. This is the same. Hello, I can't talk right now, though I am thinking of you.

But I can write about this whisky I tasted. So in honor of the seventh birthday of the most fascinating and complex person I have ever met, here's a Littlemill!

Distillery: Littlemill

Region: Lowlands

Independent Bottler: Creative Whisky Company

Range: Exclusive Malts

Age: 25 years (7 November 1988 - 2014)

Maturation: ???
Cask #: 8
Outturn: 298 bottles

Exclusive to: K&L Wine Merchants

Alcohol by Volume: 54.9%

(Thanks again to Brett for the sample!)

NOTES

White peaches, roses, pears and tangerines fill the nose's foreground, while honey and damp moss drift through the background. The nose shifts once the whisky is reduced to 46%abv, as notes of toffee, oak spice and malt move to the fore. Jasmine, peach ice cream and lychee gummies sneak in around the edges.

The palate starts with a lovely combination of hay, honeycomb, roasted cashews and shortbread biscuits, then slowly develops notes of lychee, bitter citrus peel and peach skins. A little more herbal bitterness appears once the whisky is diluted to 46%abv, as does some more heat and sweetness, with minerals and melon rind in the background.

It finishes with honey, shortbread and lychee, though with only tiny bit of sweetness. The bitter citrus peel gives it a nice zing. At 46%abv, it picks up roses, orange juice and a hint of minerals.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Continuous fruit and countryside (no manure) notes result in another excellent Littlemill experience. It's a late spring / early summer whisky to enjoy outside, maybe with some early Miles calling out from a Bluetooth speaker. Yes, I wish I'd pre-ordered this whisky back when it was priced the same as a single cask bottle of six-year-old Kilchoman. But having tried this Littlemill fills me with a grateful feeling that far outweighs the regret.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - $140 at pre-order, then $160
Rating - 90

Mathilda and Papa Eat Kit Kats, Episode Seven

In honor of Mathilda's seventh birthday,

here's the seventh in a series of relevant tasting notes:

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

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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

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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

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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.

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!

Brand: Writers' Tears

Bottler: Walsh Whiskey

Country: Ireland
Style: Blended Whiskey

Contents: 60% Single Malt / 40% Single Pot Still (undisclosed distilleries)
Age: NAS

Maturation: American oak

Alcohol by Volume: 40%
(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.

Availability - Most whisk(e)y specialists
Pricing - $35 - $50
Rating - 79