After a long hiatus, I am back! I have less time for whisky and drink less whisky these days, so I try to make sure that when I do drink, it is something worthwhile; and I become even more upset when I drink something that is not worthwhile. Port Charlotte 10 Year Heavily Peated Islay Single Malt has nothing to be upset about. It is affordable, fairly available, and delicious. It is in fact the quintessential Islay scotch currently. With the old “big 3” of Ardbeg, Laphroaig, and Lagavulin getting more expensive and producing less quality, this is now clearly the go-to bottle for a peaty good time. 50% ABV is the perfect strength for this complicated whisky. 10 years is probably the perfect age. What makes modern Port Charlotte stand out is its wonderful savoriness; like an umami ramen broth. It has a proteinaceous richness that the other Islay distilleries used to have, but somehow lost. This bottle also offers a silky smooth vanilla sweetness, ample brine, hints of medicinal iodine, and a touch of a decaying farmy funk that is inexplicably lovely; but you’ll have to hunt down some pricier special edition Port Charlottes for the full funk experience. At $60-70, this is what Lagavulin 16 used to cost when I first started reviewing on this app. And this whisky is about as good as Lagavulin 16 was when it cost $60-70. Now that Laga 16 is more like $90-100, and tastes way worse, this expression is the current flag of Islay. It’s considerably better than the current Lagavulin 16; it’s twice as good as the current Ardbeg 10; and it’s 100 times better than the current Laphroaig 10. Score: ** (unimaginably good) How much does a bottle cost?: $60-70 How much do I think a bottle is worth?: $95 4 reviews in one! To complete the comparison, I think the current Lagavulin 16 is worth $60; the Ardbeg 10 is worth $50; and the Laphroaig 10 is worth 95 cents.