Port Charlotte The Peat Project

Port Charlotte The Peat Project
Picture: The Whisky Exchange

Port Charlotte is Bruichladdich's attempt to recreate the 19th-century style whiskies. In the absence of bottles or detailed tasting notes no one really knows the taste of this Victorian spirit. Our only hopes are a few vague descriptions in Alfred Barnard's 128-year-old book "The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom" and the (almost) Steve Jobs-like guts of Master Distiller Jim McEwan. 

Identity Card Port Charlotte The Peat Project

Modernist black bean sauce 

Tasting notes

Colour: This young whisky is a blend of several vintages and has a clear straw colour. Adding water creates a light haze. Completely normal as Bruichladdich does not chill-filter its whiskies.

Nose: A peaty punch of smokiness with a maritime character. Freshly ground Szechuan pepper and coarse sea salt. This classic table couple duels vanilla, maple syrup and Cinnamon. Flavours the Peat Project clearly inherits from its bourbon cask maturation. This flavour combo reminds me of the black bean sauce Asian restaurants serve with beef.

Taste: Creamy in the mouth. Pleasant peat smoke blends nicely with grounded black pepper and freshly cut grass. Lemon balm and peppermint clean and refresh your palate.

Finish: Maple syrup and sweet peat smoke dominate the mouth quite long.

Conclusion: The Peat Project is quite peaty (no shit!) and ticks off at 44 ppm. And this is by far the easiest one to order at your local bar. Unless you're willing to show off your knowledge of Gaelic and you desperately want to order a dram of ‘EĆ²rna Na h-Alba’ or a ‘Tro Na Linntean’ ... An affordable reincarnated piece of history: € 45.

The Peat Project will slowly disappear off the shelves since it has been replaced by a new expression: Port Charlotte Scottish Barley. Culinary note to myself: Try this one with a classic dish of oysters served with a splash of lime and pepper.

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