Benji-Robert
Port Charlotte 10 Year
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed
July 26, 2019 (edited April 1, 2020)
2018 edition, purchased for $77 w/tax @total wine Colorado
nose is out of this world. Iodine, a HINT of grandma's white diamonds perfume, BURNT peat, cherry juice. "lots going on here" gets overused but this is a real treat for the sense, hands down.
palate was not what the nose immediately suggests to your brain. For me it was night and day but in a very good way. Sea breeze. Vanilla and sweet wood. Dark fruit orchard during bloom. Smoke is there from start until ALMOST the finish but disappears near the end quite pleasantly.
Ice did not improve it. single cube, glass of rocks, it wasnt good. The ash notes and burn lose all there place and balance and create a very hot a
sip with little I enjoyed. Vanilla completely drowns, etc. If you absolutely have to, give it the white gloves and check it drop-by-drop with top-shelf mineral water. room temp.
I gave it 5/5 but I'm rounding from a 4.5. on the 1-100 This is easily in the low 90s (my mind anything above 90 is best-in-class or dramatic standout), maybe a 93.
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This is right up there with my favorite Islays.
@Ctrexman Octomore can be a one-trick pony sometimes, and the expressions have varied a lot in profile, but I've never had that impression about Port Charlotte. The more moderate approach to the peating and abv allows the whisky to shine more easily, it's consistent, the special bottlings really are special, and it's delightful both neat and watered whereas (for me anyway) Octomore demands water before you can fully explore it. I have two of the old Port Charlotte 10 year 2nd release bottles and two of the new-style bottle 10 year expressions in the long-tem stash, while I have just one Octomore (10 year old 2nd release). Says it all.
Better than Octomore?? I have to get this ASAP
One of the best peated malts available, IMHO. Arguably superior to Octomore.
Love this stuff!