Port Charlotte Port Charlotte Scottish Barley Heavily Peated 50% NAS

Professional reviews

Serge Valentin (85)

Colour: straw.

Nose: it’s obviously younger than all the others, since there’s quite some roughness that’s climbing up your nostrils. The barley is more obvious, there is a feeling of smoked porridge, there’s also more ‘active’ oak (fresh), touches of green bananas, vanilla, then the expected brine… Globally, it noses a bit like some younger whisky from more active oak. Nothing wrong with that, but it’s a different concept.

Mouth: a creamier mouth feel and again, more oak. That also means more herbs here, more mint, cough medicine, then a little honeydew, orange liqueur, liquorice, green tea. So a different profile indeed. With water: the oak comes out more, but that works. Makes me think of Ardbeg’s latest, in a way.

Finish: rather long, still creamy. Sweet oak, fir honey, vanilla, toffee, peat.

Comments: sweet and young but very good, very good but young. Oh well…