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Port Charlotte PC11 Eòrna Na h-Alba

Unpronounceable Deliciousness

0 990

@tastydramReview by @tastydram

28th Apr 2014

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  • Nose
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  • Taste
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  • Finish
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  • Overall
    90

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Every year Bruichladdich presents a cask strength Port Charlotte. PC11 is the 7th release of this limited edition. The number 11 relates to the age of the whisky.

PC11 received the, for non-Gaelic speakers, unpronounceable tagline Eòrna Na h-Alba. Gaelic for Scottish barley. It is a tribute to the land and the people who made this whisky.

Tasting notes

Color: This Port Charlotte clearly spent some years in Spain. She has the deep, rich color of an amber stone bathing in the warm glow of a sunset. She has got a sun tan from spending 11 years in Oloroso sherry butts. The tears are doing everything to stick to the side of the glass. Eventually they slowly slide downwards.

Nose: Peat smoke forms an explosive cocktail with cinnamon and oranges. Raisins and dates soaked in Cointreau with some honey. Whiffs of incense dance their way up and announce Mediterranean spices and dried mint smouldering on a barbecue. With water she slowly transforms into an oak cabinet, recently polished with beeswax.

Taste: Yet it is only a prelude to what happens on the palate. Walnuts and sugar in a marriage with raisins and roasted chestnut. A delicious chocolate filled with sweet chestnut purée and minced nuts. And she is presented in a classy and elegant wooden box with red fruits.

Finish: Chestnuts served with a near perfect crème brulée. Still warm and with a crackling sugar crust. A very long finish.

Conclusion: Port Charlotte has become a gorgeous lady. This Oloroso matured whisky has almost nothing in common with the young Peat Project.

The sherry influences make this PC11 stunningly complex. Take your time to discover and enjoy these rich flavours.

This is a whisky that could urge me to break through my psychological € 100 budget barrier. But I'll have to run into her then. Not an easy task since she only roams the Travel Retail Stores.

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9 comments

@Ol_Jas
Ol_Jas commented

Sounds great!

Ardbeg Oogie is my main reference point for CS sherried Islay peat, as I'm sure it is for others too. Any chance you could compare the two?

9 years ago 0

@tastydram
tastydram commented

The Uigedal is on my shopping list. I'm even considering to invite the Laimrig for a threesome with Charlotte.:)

9 years ago 0

@PeatyZealot
PeatyZealot commented

Hope you enjoyed it to the fullest, this stuff with an actual age statement is not gonna be around for a while since they cant handle the demands anymore :p

9 years ago 0

Rigmorole commented

I can't find this one in the USA. Where did you buy yours? They seem very rare indeed.

9 years ago 0

Rigmorole commented

Belgium seems to get a lot of very good stuff. I think the WhiskyNotes dude is from there. I really like WhiskyNotes.

9 years ago 0

@tastydram
tastydram commented

I got a 20cl sample from Bruichladdich. Haven't spotted the bottle myself. But if I do... Ruben from whiskynotes is playing in another league. The stuff he lays his hands on is rather fabulous.

We're pretty spoiled with a few very decent whisky shops in brave little Belgium (living in a small country helps sometimes:) )

9 years ago 0

@PeatyZealot
PeatyZealot commented

The closer you live to Scotland, the better it gets :) But then again we have more trouble fetching a Pappy or a George t Stagg over here. I've never even seen a Pappy for sale. This is the oldest PC out there and after the grrreat PC10 I wanted it really bad, but the price was already too steep for me when it came out.

9 years ago 0

@tastydram
tastydram commented

I have absolute no clue how much this one costs. I've seen it on auctions for € 250 or more. Which is way beyond my budget and over-expensive for a 11yo...

9 years ago 0

@PeatyZealot
PeatyZealot commented

For some whiskies, you have to be there when they come out, just like with the Kichoman Loch Gorm now. Its gonna be available via the usual channels for about 4-6 weeks, after that you'd have to on internetmarkets to see the prices went up 75% But this one was expensive since the beginning. The PC10 CS sold for about €120-140 but a year later this one started at at least €200,- Tragic developements... lets hope Gin and Rum get so popular that the hipsters turn that way :p

9 years ago 0

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