Port Charlotte MRC:01 2010

On first approach the peat, like with most Part Charlotte expressions, is center stage. Time however reveals a savory note, almost like canned black olives or frankincense. The wine cask starts to punch through along with pie crust, citrus rind, and a distinct vanilla extract note. At cask strength it's super dense and I find myself pulling away from the glass if I nose it too close. On arrival the high ABV has this youthful malt in knots, the finish as the ethanol fades is sharp and tannic. Water unravels it and slowly this malt presents a dry sweetness, along with some pleasant woody notes and anise. Checks all the right boxes and promises to reveal even more as you spend time with it.

Campfire immediately hits the nose with a sweet waft of red fruit (strawberry jam especially). The pallet begins with a powerful brine, less intense smoke, and then a sweetness emerges with the red berry notes becoming prominent. The finish maintains the salty brine, but a peppery sprinkle of the French oak rushes into prominence, alongside a distinct and tart raspberry note. I find it best with 1/2 a teaspoon of water per ounce of spirit and 10 minutes of opening up before taking the first sip.

Wow this is something incredible! I got carried away on this one and am just now getting to reviewing this on my second bottle. This is a perfect balance of wine and young peated whiskey. The nose is so complex with sweet peat, cherries, raspberries, blackberries, vanilla, cinnamon, caramel, nutmeg and pie crust. The taste is equally complex with a viscous mouthfeel that starts with all the raspberry, blackberry, cherry fruits from the wine exploding on your tongue, then a slow transition to the those sweet peat smoke notes that finishes with ease and lasts for minutes. For a 7 year old whiskey, this really delivers a lot. I tried it blind against an Ardbeg Blaaack Committee edition and this was my favorite. Considering the Blaaack cost me 30 dollars more, this is the better bottle for the money.