“THERE IS SOMETHING MAGICAL ABOUT HOW THE ISLAY GROWN BARLEY HOLDS THE SMOKE BACK FOR A MOMENT UNTIL RELEASING IT DRAMATICALLY ON THE FINISH.”
— Adam Hannett
Time for more Port Charlotte notes, this time the Islay grown barley expressions from 2013. The barley harvest for this 2013 vintage was also raised on Islay in 2012 by seven of our Islay farming partners. Hunter Jackson at Cruach, Ian McKerrell at Island farm, Raymond Fletcher at Dunlossit estate, Donald and Andrew Jones at Coull, Mark French at Rockside, Alastair Torrance at Mulindry and Raymond Stewart. This eight-year-old single malt has matured in ex-American and ex-wine casks from the Pessac-Léognan region of France (read: Bordeaux wine).
Let’s have a go, shall we?
Port Charlotte Islay Barley 2013, 50% abv , £65
Nose: A stroll on an Islay field during blossom with wee peat in the background – that describes it in one sentence. But diving deeper we’re also getting cereal notes, some fruity, mainly peach and apricot, and also pepper, a whiff of smoke ad rubbery notes, in addition to a light peat reek underneath all the floral and sweeter notes, with some water the earthy and farmy notes become more prominent, but it’s quite laid back for a Port Charlotte – it really is.
Palate: ok! this is more like it – sweet smoke, salty notes, herbal and also farmy, with some tar, soot, more smoke. Coconut shreds, and Plantains, along with pepper, cinnamon, chili riding on waves of sweet vanilla-infused smoke, seaspray, and a hint of seaweed.
Finish: Licorice, pepper, earthy notes, smoke and soot, pepper and aniseed, peat embers, quite long and lovely.
Conclusion: It’s everything I seem to like in Port Charlotte, and I have to say I can not find the wine-y notes, which is not a bad thing. no wine tannins, no acidity, really well integrated and adding depth without wine artifacts. This is indeed a lovely thing. Port Charlotte is my favorite line of Laddies, and this shows why. Islay Provenance, FTW!
All this for £65. can’t beat this VFM.
Scor: 89/100
available on the Laddie shop site, and online on various online retailers.