This is not a new SMWS edition, it’s from the Feb batch or so. I am quite a fan of Port Charlotte, when it comes to peaty whiskies. It’s not a secret I drink less and less heavily peated drams on a daily basis, I guess a palate or mood change, but sometimes when the weather is right, or when I’m in the mood, You can’t beat a good PC. This sample came from Ben (thank you mate!), and came highly recommended. With PC 12 now released, it’s nice to notice how different this Indie bottling by the excellent SMWS will be, right?
The bare facts are , 12 years old , Refill Ex-Bourbon Hogshead , 63% abv (yea!), distilled in 2002. Let’s dram..
SMWS 127.40 [Port Charlotte] – Mango chicken vindaloo , € 149 / £ 110
Nose: A big avalanche of peat , crashing against lush vanilla and toffee. Hints of eastern spices such as cardamom and turmeric, pepper and aniseed. Creamy yet powerful. Dusty yet sharp. Big roasted meat sort of aroma as well (I guess this is the vindaloo reference in the name)
Palate: Pepper and chilly up front. Hot mama!! Bit of sulfur too with spent matches. Gunpowder. Big notes of barley sugar and heaps if sweet reeky peat. Mocha.
Finish: Spicy lemon. Peat. Smoke. Sugar. Long. Leather.
A worthy Port Charlotte if there was one… at 12 years of age, this one is really something nice, with a whole lot of spices, and the nice gunpowder note, it’s surprising this is an ex-bourbon cask and not some sherry refill .
If you see one, buy it.