The vicarious Feis Ile sessions - Today Bruichladdich


May 30, 2021

The vicarious Feis Ile sessions
Today Bruichladdich

Celebrating Islay and Feis Ile from Whisky Fun Towers, with carefully selected whiskies from most distilleries, while we're all dreaming of 2022...

Today is Bruichladdich Day. Well, I've just decided that it would rather be Port Charlotte Day, and that we would try to go 'deeper' this time. Not that yesterday's humbler Lagavulin session has been totally traumatising, but there, and anyway there's no room here for both Bruichladdich and Port Charlotte at the same time. And why not Octomore then? Now we'll see what Angus will add…

Port Charlotte 2010 'OLC:01' (55.1%, OB, 2020)

The cask-bill is extremely complicated here. 40% 2nd fill American oak, 30% 1stfill American oak, 25% VDN and 5% 2nd fill syrah, then a 18-month finish in oloroso. Holy featherless crow, that's marquetry! We're almost at Prowein or Vinexpo. Colour: deep gold. Nose: oh, the syrah coming out and… I am joking. It's a fine, smoky, peaty, bready malt, perhaps not with a lot tension and responsiveness, but we're fine with this unexpectedly fermentary nose. In short, no straight vinous notes. With water: cow stable and fermenting grass and cherries. Something like that. Mouth (neat): the spirit is strong, so it would stand and hold anything. As a matter of fact it starts pretty well, with nice touches of raspberry wine (perhaps) but then there's this spicy fruitiness (Schweppes and Fanta) that feels a bit out of place. With water: sameish. Finish: pretty long. Bread, raspberry eau-de-vie and ashes. Comments: a very unusual proposition. I would understand this set-up on Bruichladdich, less so on a heavy peater. Take my palette and give me a bottle of the stunning regular PC 10 for it, and we'll be friends forever.
SGP:656 - 82 points.

Port Charlotte 16 yo 2002/2018 (60.5%, Dramfool, 1st fill bourbon barrel, 221 bottles)

Ah, bourbon, that's civilisation! Colour: light gold. Nose: but of course. Normal peat, normal bourbon, normal oak, normal medicines, massive quantities of seawater and iodine. With water: white bread, ink, carbon paper. In short, a perfect representation of the French administration (boy I'll be in trouble again). Mouth (neat): great natural peaty bourbonness. Ashes, apples, lemons, vanilla, citronella… But 60.5% are too much for me. With water: good, we tamed it. Citron liqueur (I'm often quoting this, please try to find a bottle of, say Liqueur de Cédrat by Mattei in Corsica, you'd be in for a treat). Some salty doughs. Finish: long and very salty, I'm rather fond of this, you could use it to salt any soup. Comments: great peaty drop, just a tad uncomplicated.
SGP:557 - 87 points.

Pl5 2009/2018 (63.1%, Elixir Distillers, Elements of Islay, bourbon hogshead and barrel, 582 bottles)

I have a huge back-catalogue of PCs, some pretty old already. Colour: straw. Nose: pure ashes, tarmac, brine, sauvignon blanc, rhubarb juice, fresh almonds and just peat smoke. Crystal-clean and right up my alley. Touch of vanilla and biscuit. With water: similar, just easier, with a little chalk and a little lambswool. Nothing totally unexpected. Mouth (neat): very good, simple, crystalline, lemony and ashy, with a lot of tar too. Seawater. With water: I believe it's the saltiness that would set it apart from the other peaters on the island. That's strange since the barley was not malted on the Islay. Salty bread and ashes. Finish: rather long, rather chalky. A feeling of sucking your brand new woollen sweater. Comments: a little austere and very good. Doing such a session is not easy, just saying. Bruichladdich would have been easier…
SGP:457 - 86 points.

Pl6 2011/2019 (55.3%, Elixir Distillers, Elements of Islay, bourbon barrels, 1163 bottles)

This one too I should have tried earlier. Colour: straw. Nose: feels rather lighter and more herbal, more on camphor and fresh butter, croissants, carrot soup, putty, marzipan… This noses as if it was twenty years older. Quite. With water: marzipan and putty up, linseed oil, fresh oil paint… Quite a Van Gogh of a young whisky! Mouth (neat): very good. Lemon tarte with meringue, stewed rhubarb, tarry teas and liquorice, touch of mustard and green walnuts… That's all very nice. With water: there, kippers, salt and limoncello, plus ashes. Finish: long, a little peppery now. Ashy and tarry aftertaste. Comments: wonderfully mature at just 7 or 8.
SGP:367 - 88 points.

Port Charlotte 10 yo 2008/2019 (56.5%, The Cask Whisperer, Jim McEwan's Private Stock, Château Margaux wine cask, cask #3562, 329 bottles)

Some of Big Jim's stock. I'm a little surprised he would have secured some ex-Margaux back in the days. Colour: neither red, nor pink, rather mirabelle yellow. Phew. Nose: you do spot some cabernetty notes here and there, as well as apricots and certainly cassis, geranium flowers and peonies, but I don't notice any clashes and I wouldn't call this a peated winesky. It is even pretty gentle. With water: copper polish, dunnage, old wine cellar, wool, and a nuttier peatiness. Pink grapefruits. Mouth (neat): I find this pretty good, not un-Port-Charlotte, not really winey, just a tad too peppery for me, and I believe that's the fresh French oak. Mind you, Château Margaux, if this is proper château wood for the 1er Cru, only use their barriques once. With water: gets a little leafy. A few clashes here and there now, peat and raspberries and such… Finish: rather long, very leafy. In my book, French oak makes many whiskies excessively leafy/spicy. Cassis mustard. Comments: could have been much worse.
SGP:567 - 82 points.

Port Charlotte 17 yo 2001/2019 (52.8%, The Cask Whisperer, Jim McEwan's Private Stock, Sherry cask, cask #834, 340 bottles)

Interesting, some early pre-record-breaking-era Port Charlotte, done before they started to 'crank up the ppms'. Colour: full gold. Nose: smoked raisin rolls and pecan pies, that's what I get at first. Not a bad start. A touch of sulphur (cabbage, used matches), some pipe tobacco, some cherry jam, then truffles over grenadine. Perhaps a little unlikely, perhaps was it a prototype cask back in 2001? With water: rather tighter. Glue, walnuts and morello cherries. Sounds strange but I find it pleasant, and it is really not too sulphury. Mouth (neat): fun but really unlikely. Turmeric, leather, plasticine, cinnamon mints, sour apples, tarry rubber, cherry lozenges… With water: not too sure. Peppered blood oranges? Finish: long, leathery, peaty, peppery, gingery, with also loads of cherry jam. Comments: wasn't this one a little experi-mental? Rather for the record, I would say.
SGP:566 - 79 points.

I'm sure we'll find a 90+ but at this pace, the quest may be long… Let's try an uppercut…

Port Charlotte 13 yo 2001/2015 (63.5%, The Bottlers, refill bourbon hogshead, cask #1031)

Well, just ask! Ah, the Bottlers a.k.a. Raeburn Fine Wines and their Cognac-like bottles, they did some utter glories in the past and they've reigned supreme on our lists. Their Broras, for example… Colour: gold. Nose: there, nice, a manzanilla! I know this is bourbon. Peat, mustard, green walnuts, touch of curry, seawater, some seafood (say razor clams?) and some menthol. No quibbles. With water: some metallic and earthy touches. Nice. Mouth (neat): oh very good! Very very good! Perfect dry, walnutty, bitter, fino-like arrival indeed, then a growing smoky pepperiness that plays with your tongue and a good litre of dry herbal cordial. Grapefruit. With water: gets saltier and more coastal. Reminds me of some older vintages from the easternmost distillery on Islay's south shore. Right, towards Kildalton. Finish: long and perfect. Comments: yeah right, I'm six years late. Shame shame shame. Oh and feels like proper dry sherry, really; was it really a bourbon hogshead?
SGP:467 - 91 points.

Port Charlotte 6 yo 2011/2018 'Islay Barley' (50%, OB)

Boy am I late once again! Colour: white wine. Nose: still on new-make-y notes, gorse, soft bread, fresh panettone, nougat… I find this adorably gentle and smooth. Some sourer notes on the background, asparagus, lime, olives, vegetal earth… I find this rather superb. With water: o.l.i.v.e.s. Mouth (neat): just perfect. Tight, tart, vertical, on lemons, peat, tar, ashes, bread and chalk. With water: more olives, bitter almonds, grapefruits, brine… Just perfect. Finish: long, brine-y. Comments: no one needs long tasting notes. As Voltaire once said, 'I wrote a long tasting note because I had no time for a short one'. Yeah, Voltaire was a whisky enthusiast, everybody believes he was only feeling on hot chocolate, but that's because he used to add some Port Charlotte to it while no one was watching. Right, it was the old Port Charlotte distillery (S., please!)
SGP:467 - 90 points.

I think we've reached a good cruising altitude, have we not…

Port Charlotte 13 yo 2004/2017 (54.1%, Caora, 1st fill bourbon barrel, cask #969, 314 bottles)

Looks like they hadn't hired Jeff Koons (or Stranger & Stranger) for the label, but that's probably better. Colour: straw. Nose: but yes. Sunflower oil, lemon zests, almonds, asparagus, beach sand, oysters, tar lozenges, etcetera. Metal polish. With water: superb. Loves water. Almondy riesling. Mouth (neat): perfect ex-bourbon PC, just a little rough around the edges (abundant pepper). With water: do not add too much water or some pretty vulgar notes of coconut and vanilla will come out. Who needs coconut and vanilla? As long as you don't it'll remain perfect. Finish: long and perfect. Smoked and salted almonds. Comments: yet another admirable drop. An easy method for heavy peaters: just abandon any wine wood, including sherry (unless you only actually release the 20% best). But then again, who am I?
SGP:457 - 89 points.

Off to the barn…

Port Charlotte 15 yo 2003/2019 (55.5%, Maltbarn, sherry cask, 171 bottles)

I know, this is peat and sherry but maybe is this one part of those 20%? Colour: amber. Nose: ah, maybe! Walnut cake and pecan pie, toasted nuts, peanut sauce (Indonesian satay, I would kill for that), then fumes and engine oil. Imagine if we ever buy a Tesla, all we'll be left with will be whiffs of plastic. You're right, as long as it is not burnt plastic…With water: no, lovely. Kumquats, bergamots and mentholy tar. Sauna oils. Mouth (neat): it is clearly a good sherry. Fish bouillon, tight herbs and spices (allspice, ras-el-hanout), dried orange and cloves, tobacco, brine, capers, cough syrup, mint drops… With water: just add a drop. Not even sure it really needed water; it tends to become a tad too chocolaty. Finish: long, dry when reduced, brighter when neat. Comments: clearly one of the better sherried PCs. Indeed, part of those 20%.
SGP:467 - 89 points.

A last one. We'll have many more in the future….

Port Charlotte 2009 'MC:01' (56.3%, OB, 2018)

Port Charlotte 2009/2018 'MC:01' (56.3%, OB)

This one was aged in French oak and bourbon, then finished for 2 years in Marsala. No ideas why. Colour: deep gold. Nose: Marsala can be reminiscent of sherry, which is rather the case here. I don't think this is very winey, but there is a little gunpowder and some struck matches. With water: much nicer, with oils, chives, oranges, lemon powder… Mouth (neat): a big beast blending peat, gunpowder and raisins. Extreme but that was probably the whole idea here. With water: much cleaner again, more on lemons, seawater, ashes, raw peat… Finish: long, a tad grassier and spicier. Comments: you see I'm using great water, it almost eradicates both sulphur and wine. Requests on a postcard.
SGP:467 - 84 points.

Over to Angus in Edinburgh...

Bruichladdich Origins (57.5%, OB for Feis Ile 2021, 3000 bottles)
A 13 cask 'cuvee' composed of whisky from 12 different vintages with a minimum age of 7 years old, 6 barley types and 9 different cask types. It sounds just as busy as Bruichladdich's courtyard on open day. Let's see what has emerged from such a medley… Also, I note the bottle image says 56.3% and my sample says 57.5%. Dear Bruichladdich, does this mean that I'm trying a vat sample rather than the actual liquid from the bottle? Colour: pale gold. Nose: the good news is that there's a very familiar 'freshness' that I find characterises modern Bruichladdich and it's on display here front and centre. So rather a lot of ripe green fruits, some softer coastal tones, sea air and even some lighter medicinal aspects such as bandages. In time there's a little more peppery heat which feels like it's coming from the wood, but no complaints here. With water: a lovely and generous fruitiness now with water, overripe green fruits, fruit salad juices and a style that feels almost closer to that of 70s Bruichladdich. Mouth: the wood is more grippy on arrival in the mouth but it's nicely balanced with the enjoyably fat and gloopy distillate. Some notes of melon, olive oil, pollens, sandalwood, banana chips, hessian. Pulls in quite a few directions, but it still feels nicely 'Bruichladdich'. With water: again, rather fruit forward with hints of mango, limoncello in tonic water and some touches of lanolin and white pepper. Finish: medium, a little drier, more peppery and still nicely fresh. Comments: I suddenly wish I was on Islay, rather a lot. I find this very good and the composition of all these various forces seems to have settled in balance, which is no mean feat. I especially like this rather generous and easy fruitiness and freshness. An ideal Feis Ile release.
SGP: 651 - 87 points.

Port Charlotte 8 yo 2011/2021 PAC:01 (56.1%, OB, bourbon & ex-red wine)
Matured for 6-7 years in bourbon barrels then re-racked into ex-Pauillac red wine casks. Colour: gold. Nose: I actually find it extremely fresh and pure, all on wet rocks, seawater, sea spray, brine and then these softer notes of ink and hessian. Impressions of coal smoke and peat embers. Really lovely nose! With water: really doubles down on this impression of hessian, tarry rope, creel nets, ink and oily sheep wool. But still also quite saline and fresh. Mouth: a little more spicy encroachment from the French oak now, pickled onion Monster Munch (a delicacy, look it up!), sardines in olive oil, tar, embrocations, paprika. Ever so slightly unusual but still works I think. With water: water seems to brush aside these spicier oak tones and it's now more on green pepper, miso, smoked olive oil, tar, medical embrocations and a little plasticine. Finish: long, quite a lot of lemon oils, tar, caraway, iodine and pickling juices. Comments: I think the finishing here was done with a light touch and worked pretty well. There's no sense of overly-lopsided red wine sloshing about the place. Same quality as the Origins in my view.
SGP: 466 - 87 points.

Port Charlotte 18 yo 2001 (60.4%, OB Private Cask 'HJW No2', #R09/216-8)
Hey, wasn't that cask number a droid in Star Wars? Colour: deep gold. Nose: there is undeniably 'something' about these first few vintages of Port Charlotte, especially at this age. I get immediate notes of Brora, bandages dipped in seawater, mercurochrome, petrol and natural tar. It's also wildly salty and briny with notes of anchovy paste and more seawater. With water: smoked olive oil, verbena, wormwood, olive brine and pine wood. Indeed, these olive notes get pretty loud with impressions of black olive bread and sea salt. Mouth: wonderfully emphatic, tarry, oily, peaty, briny and textural in terms of mouthfeel. Like peated petroleum jelly. Some dried herbs, wintergreen, soot, engine oil, camphor and Barbour grease. More of these distinctive Brora / farmyard vibes too. With water: perfectly salty, chiselled and yet also wonderfully oily and textural still. Camphor again, petrol, tar, iodine, mentholated oils, dried seaweed and dried rosemary. Finish: long, farmy, deeply oily, smoky, many more dried black olives, herbs and wee sooty touches. Comments: really watch these batches! In the words of great Michiel Wigman: "Future classic!"
SGP: 476 - 91 points.

Tja, heavy peat and wine = Russian roulette. Next time and as a precaution, we'll only have ex-bourbon or ex-refill Port Charlotte.

Tomorrow, it's Caol Ila Day! Stay tuned…