.port charlotte - 2001-2014 - the maltman - #846

We do not see very often that an independent bottler releases a whisky from the Bruichladdich distillery, simply because the distillery hardly ever sells a cask. Every now and then - if you are lucky, you can find a bottle that does not have the official, contemporary label on the bottle, but nevertheless is a distillate from the Progressive Hebridean Distillers that somehow slipped through the nets and found its way into the arms of an independent party that decided to cherish the spirit and bottle it on their own terms, at the right time.

This edition of their heavily peated Port Charlotte has been caressed for the past twelve years by our friends at Meadowside blending who bottled it as one of their own, in their "the Maltman" single cask series.

image nicked from
whiskybase.com

52.4% abv, €115, single malt, non-chill filtered, natural colour

Nose: smoke, sweet, marshmallows, red fruit, ripe cherries, herbal, eucalyptus, briny

Palate: smoke, ash, strong, sweet, liquorice, red fruit, cherries, hot, spicy, cinnamon, red pepper, semi-dry

Finish: sweet, spicy, cinnamon, ash, properly baked crispy bacon, long, dry
Mark: +++++ 

Conclusion: it is no secret I fancy the peaty drams, and this is no exception. The harsh, smoky scents and flavours are omnipresent and is you are looking for a firm, peaty drink, keep an eye out for this one. She's a keeper...

More info: Distilled in December 2001, matured in ex-Bourbon cask #846, bottled in May 2014 into 269 bottles

Many thanks to Andy "the Maltman" Hart of Meadowside Blending for this sample