Bruichladdich is in the process of reviving the old Lochindaal distillery in Port Charlotte on Islay. I believe the intent is for that distillery to be the eventual home of all heavily peated bruichladdich products. In the mean time, they've been distilling heavily peated whiskies at Bruichladdich and I believe they've been aging those in the Port Charlotte warehouse.
Over the years, Bruichladdich have made annual releases of age-stated Port Charlotte releases. There's been PC5 (for 5 years old), PC6, etc. up through PC10. Each release has seen some different maturation and of course more time in oak so you get progressively different whiskies.
As discussed in my previous post "Calgary Floods," this one is Port Charlotte PC7 - Sin an Doigh Ileach. According to Head Distiller Jim McEwan, this one had done time in both former bourbon casks and in former Sherry casks.
Colour: liquid gold with copper highlights
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| Click photo to enlarge - This one is big! |
Nose: like nothing I've nosed before! Sweet cereal and a nuttiness accompanied by a phenolic peat fire. This one won't be for amateurs! Medicinal. I get the floral notes that are typical of the tall-necked Bruichladdich stills long with maybe some field berries? There is the typical Bruichladdich menthol note here as well. I get something savoury on the nose and I am wondering if I am finally getting/understanding the "mussles in broth" note that I see some people write in their notes.
Palate: tingle-y, sweet and then richly smokey on the palate and seems to then kick into another gear and you get a pop of profound ashy fire. Blinder! This is intense. This is REALLY big! Again, different from anything I've ever had. You definately get the fruit from the sherry cask here. This rips! This has more intensity than the 40ppm phenols claimed might have you believe.
Add some water and you get more of the broth note that I think I nosed. Its like a savouriness. Adding more and more water seems to kill the intensity a bit and spread the flavours out some more while bringing out some chipotle and chocolate notes.
Finish: pretty long with lingering ashes that make it down to mid-chest.
Comment: Complex and intense and wild and delicious. This is in-your-face and big and not the kind of thing that a bunch of boomers will sit around sipping on a patio talking about how "smooth" it is etc. This is good for a day where you just need some "pop."
Described in four words: A pretty heavy whisky.
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