Port Charlotte Scottish Barely - Heavily Peated

We were so sold on the Bruichladdich scotch we drank that we had to try out their Heavily Peated Port Charlotte. Let's just state for the record that we like everything we've heard about Bruichladdich. They don't chill filter their scotches and they don't add any colouring and both this and the Classic Laddie are 50% alcohol. Interestingly enough, they make some Gin too, and that's on our list of things to buy and check out. Anything they make and they send to Canada, we're going to purchase. Bruichladdich is great. We are totally sold!

One of us was always against heavily peated malts in the past. But through experimentation that position has weakened and now with the tasting of Port Charlotte Scottish Barely - Heavily Peated it has been destroyed. Peat and smokey scotches are something you have to get used to, but if you put in the effort you really can open yourself up to some really amazing new flavours.

The nose not surprisingly begins with peat. Big peat. I like that they put 40ppm of peat on the label. Bruichladdich is committed to excellence and  displaying their parts per million on the label  is just another example of this. Underneath the peat however is a little subtle char, some classic (if we can say that after tasting two Bruichladdich products) salty air, and then something sweet perhaps honeysuckle and a powerful burst of lemon and floral notes.

What's interesting with scotches, and we've said it before, is that often there are scents and tastes which you would think, at first would not be scents and tastes that you would want to experience in a whisky (or any beverage) but somehow work in whiskys. So we were hesitant at first to say this, but the truth is, there's a total medicinal scent and taste to this, iodine and as crazy as this may seem, the scent of band aids (maybe just medical rubber). 'Are we saying this tastes bad?' you may ask? Amazingly, we're saying 'no, this is amazing.' Lots of scotches have this weird medicinal scent and taste and it's strangely appealing. It definitely grows on you. It's crazy, we know, but it actually does.

Underneath all this there is some sweetness and the delicious taste of burnt wood (oak). The burnt flavours are just in the right amount.

The finish is fairly short but there is a lingering smokey taste that pretty much lasts until you brush your teeth or eat or drink something else.

In short. It's really good. We love Bruichladdich! Will definitely purchase again!