Port Charlotte 2001 Rum Barrel Vintage Bottlers Release 48.7%

Port Charlotte 2001 Rum Barrel Vintage Bottlers Release 48.7%

Official Tasting Notes

Nose: A waft of aromatic woodsmoke, some herbal notes, a little menthol and medicinal peat arrive first, with a touch of cocoa-heavy chocolate and stewed, spiced apple. Very upfront and savoury, with a nicely balanced sweetness.

Palate:  An oily and viscous mouthfeel, with the spiced apple strudel, a waft of lemon zest, some cracked black pepper and more of the herbal, aromatic smoke. The peat is very well balanced and zingy. With the addition of water, the influence of the rum cask begins to come alive, with some barbecued sweet potato and banana, a well-rounded sweetness and a distinct molasses-led depth, coating the palate.

Finish: Long lasting and smoky, with a slight charred oak note and herbal savouriness.

The Bruichladdich distillery was constructed on the isle of Islay off the west coast of Scotland in 1881 by Barnett Harvey. Then in 1886 Bruichladdich Distillery Company Ltd was founded. The site lies to the south west of the island and is one of nine working distilleries there. There have been numerous owners over the years and a time of  consistency when Invergordon Distillers took over in 1968. In 1993 Whyte & Mackay bought Invergordon Distillers and the distillery was mothballed in 1995. Bruichladdich was then sold to Murray McDavid in 2000. Since 2001 when production started again the philosophy was to push the boundaries of the norm for whisky making. The distillery has become renowned for its innovation and willingness to experiment. There are three main lines produced, unpeated Bruichladdich, heavily peated Port Charlotte and ultra heavily peated Octomore. Not forgetting the botanist gin also distilled on site. The distillery has been very busy over the past twenty years producing new releases, batches and vintages of these great diverse whiskies.