Bruichladdich Port Charlotte PC8 60.5% 2001

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Serge Valentin (89)

Matured in American oak. The Port Charlottes are getting better and better in my opinion (PC5: 86, PC6: 88, PC7: 89). Will the new PC8 fetch 90 points in my little system? Colour: gold. Nose: it’s not the peat that hits you first, but rather a combination of linseed oil, paraffin and walnut skin that smells very old skool. I need to mention that I’m a sucker for these kinds of profiles. Develops more on liquorice, damp earth, moss, peated barley (or a kiln) and apple peeling.With water: a little water doesn’t quite change it, let’s try to add a lot, down to +/-40%. It got more organic, with notes of wet wool, our dear wet dogs (I’ll never tell you enough how sorry I am, dogs), but also hints of diesel oil and hessian. Mouth: bang, this one really hits you behind your eyes, not unlike some young Port Ellens at high strength. Ash, tar, crystallised lemons and a little fructose or icing sugar. With water: some modern-style oak (vanilla/ginger) but also a little mint, marzipan and typical notes of white pepper from the oak. Finish: very long, on peat, tar and ginger. Unexpected medicinal notes in the aftertaste, iodine, cough syrup. Comments: top notch dram. Still a wee bit youngish but really getting there, I guess changes are slowing down now, one more year may make proportionally less differences than when the whisky was younger. But it should be a total winner once it’s getting ‘old’.

BOW (89)