The Port Charlotte Case, Part 5


February 25, 2025

The Port Charlotte Case, Part 5

We carry on, all these Port Charlotte are still very good...

Port Charlotte 15 yo 2004/2019 (48.3%, Orcines, The Whisky Lodge, bourbon barrel, cask #864, 188 bottles)

Port Charlotte 15 yo 2004/2019 (48.3%, Orcines, The Whisky Lodge, bourbon barrel, cask #864, 188 bottles) This comes from the distinguished organisers of the Lyon Whisky Festival. It’s coming up soon, in March. Colour: straw. Nose: a very pure Port Charlotte, all about limestone, lemon, green apple, ashes, and bread dough. Elementary, in the best sense of the word. Mouth (neat): very vertical yet soft, with clementines emerging beyond a fine peat that leans more towards CI. Sichuan pepper, olives, a touch of grey pepper, and, of course, plenty of ashes, always with a certain softness… Finish: rather long, very precise, highly coherent, almost refreshing. Some lovely gentle bitterness in the aftertaste, almost reminiscent of amaro. Comments: really very beautiful, but beware—exceptionally high drinkability. SGP:555 – 88 points.

Let’s go back to the opposite side...

Port Charlotte 8 yo 2009/2018 (64.2%, Artful Dodger Whisky Collective, Sauternes cask, cask #1063, 398 bottles)

Port Charlotte 8 yo 2009/2018 (64.2%, Artful Dodger Whisky Collective, Sauternes cask, cask #1063, 398 bottles) Colour: deep gold. Nose: an unexpected bourbon-like side, with varnish, then flambéed bananas and almost medicinal alcohol in which coconut might have been macerated. A hint of brine seems to emerge in the background. Surprising! With water: it remains curiously soft and almost evokes a Cuban rum. Seriously. Mouth (neat): kirsch and strawberry eau-de-vie straight from the still. Strawberry eau-de-vie is quite something—don’t drink too much without water, even a couple of drops will scrub your oesophagus. With water: well, there we have it, the peated distillate comes charging in, but now accompanied by apricots and mirabelles coated in honey. Finish: long, really all about PC plus yellow fruit liqueurs and honey. Comments: a very surprising combination, actually quite Bruichladdich-like. Don’t even think about drinking this without water. SGP: 755 – 85 points.

Port Charlotte 10 yo 2005/2015 (60.7%, Strange Ways, for HNWS Taiwan, Madeira cask, cask #2005001572, 303 bottles)

Port Charlotte 10 yo 2005/2015 (60.7%, Strange Ways, for HNWS Taiwan, Madeira cask, cask #2005001572, 303 bottles) Strange ways? We’re very eager… Colour: gold. Nose: this is quite surprising, with that soft, almost buttery, almost pastry-like side. Slightly sweet varnishes, if you see what I mean, a mirabelle tart, a bag of bergamots from Nancy (the city, not Mrs Reagan’s old stash), then finally a rather vegetal peat that lifts off gently, in a lovely way. With water: very amusing medicinal notes, particularly inhalation oils packed with eucalyptus. A beautiful nose. Mouth (neat): this must have been a very sweet Madeira, probably Malvasia. Honey, oranges, pepper, and a peat that isn’t overwhelmingly aggressive—yet. With water: everything balances out to perfection; I think we might need to light a few candles. Phew. Very oily texture once reduced. Finish: very long, with a peaty, peppery softness and an almost Christmassy side. Do our dear Taiwanese friends know Beerawecka or Hützelbrot? Comments: quite the concoction—Strange Ways indeed, but also Great Ways. SGP:756 – 89 points.

Port Charlotte 17 yo 2002/2020 (57.1%, WhiskySponge, 1st fill bourbon, 220 bottles)

Port Charlotte 17 yo 2002/2020 (57.1%, WhiskySponge, 1st fill bourbon, 220 bottles) One of the first releases from Angus’s WhiskySponge—now that’s a collector’s piece! Colour: white wine. Nose: oh, gentian, celeriac, wild carrots, soot, leeks, a full ashtray, paraffin, lemon… Honestly, I love it, Sponge or no Sponge. These very first vintages are among the best in terms of complexity, truly top-tier. With water: a little mellowed but still beautiful, if slightly less expressive. Paraffin. Mouth (neat): same rooty profile, extreme gentian (we’re fans), a touch of candied sugar, ashes from various sources, clams, a bit of butter, a bit of black bread… Oysters are the only thing missing now. With water: seawater, celeriac, lemons, green apples, cigar ashes. Finish: long, fatty yet precise. Roots, ashes, honey, and salt. Comments: by Zeus, what a devilish bottle! And to think it took me five years to taste it. SGP:666 – 91 points.

These are delightful bottles because you realise that you don’t have to spend ~~£2,000~~ ~~£1,500~~ £1,000 on an old Ardbeg to achieve a fairly similar level.

Since we're on the topic of sponges...

Port Charlotte 18 yo 2003/2021 (57.1%, WhiskySponge, 1st fill bourbon barrel, 197 bottles)

Port Charlotte 18 yo 2003/2021 (57.1%, WhiskySponge, 1st fill bourbon barrel, 197 bottles) This bottling strength of around 100° proof has the particularity of being drinkable without water, if one really insists—though we at WF wouldn’t recommend it. Colour: gold. Nose: more compact, more monolithic, also more predictable than the 2002, with ashes, lemons, leather, pink and black pepper, limestone, and clay… That said, there are also bergamots, and as the honorary president of the BASF (Bergamot Appreciation Society of France), I must say I love it too. With water: not much development, it actually turns a bit rougher. Perhaps I wasn’t wrong about avoiding water. Mouth (neat): powerful, lemony, loads of ashes, still a sooty side but also… bergamots and a touch of hay jelly. With water: same combo, more or less, just a little more peppery. Finish: long and, surprisingly, now very close to the 2002, even with all those roots and that pepper. Comments: the 2002 was already more tertiary, but this 2003 is right on its heels. Truly splendid bottles. SGP:667 – 90 points.

Check the index of all Port Charlotte we've tasted so far