Bruichladdich's Newest Scotch Is a Subtle Experiment in Cask Maturation

Bruichladdich Distillery has a reputation for pushing the boundaries of peated Scotch whiskey through its Octomore and Port Charlotte collections. And while Octomore, which recently released its 15th triple bottle, tops the world when it comes to swampy and smoky flavors, Port Charlotte showcases the nuances. SYC:01, the latest version of the brand's heralded Cask Exploration series, is an example of this.

Life on Islay is not all bogs, swamps and rotting organic matter. It also has lush rolling hills, stunningly turquoise waters and white sandy beaches, as well as golf courses, distilleries and sheep. Lots of sheep. The distillery showcases what happens when you take beautifully peated whiskey with Port Charlotte SYC:01 and try barrel maturation and finishing.

Port Charlotte SYC:01 is bottled at 54.4 percent ABV and malted to a smoky 40 parts per million phenol (PPM, used to measure peat character). It features the 2013 Port Charlotte spirit, aged for the first time in a combination of first-fill and second-fill bourbon barrels. Later in 2018, the spirit was refilled into first-fill Syrah wine barrels. This is the first time the distillery has used this type of barrel. After four years in French wine barrels, the spirit was refilled into refilled bourbon barrels.

Want the latest whiskey news, deals and reviews? Sign up for the Whiskey Wednesday newsletter.

Bruichladdich Distillery is known for having a large number of wine casks, with around 200 different varieties currently under the distillery's care on Islay. In this case, the Syrah barrels were sourced from a French producer specializing in organic and biodynamic wines. Bold red wine barrels add rich red fruit notes and delicate layers of spice to the final single malt.

Related: How to Drink Pure Whiskey

“To have a wine barrel inventory of this scale and variety is quite extraordinary,” says Adam Hannett, head distiller at Bruichladdich Distillery. “We scour the world to find the best wines available, which leads us to the finest oak and unparalleled flavour.

“With Port Charlotte SYC:01, we clearly see the tremendous influence of Syrah barrels,” says Hannett. “It's a balancing act to ensure the oak and peat smoke work in perfect harmony, and our versatile Port Charlotte spirit has worked incredibly well with the rich fruits and spices in the barrel. The result is a multi-dimensional single malt whiskey and something new and unique for Port Charlotte.” .”

On the nose, it feels like whiskey, rich fruits, intense peat smoke, caramel sweetness and Syrah-soaked oak. The palate features barbecued peat and smoked oak, punctuated by candied peel, fresh mango and brown sugar. Another wave of smoke and Islay Sea vibes linger on the finish, along with a hint of coconut and cocoa powder.

This is the seventh release in the Port Charlotte Cask Exploration series. Port Charlotte SYC:01 is priced at £110 (about $120) per bottle and is available from select whiskey retailers.

Related: I Only Drinked Whiskey Until I Learned the Truth About Ice

Comments

No comments yet. Why don’t you start the discussion?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *