A very thoughtful and thorough review of the Port Charlotte 10 year. I too have begun to grow on the wine cask influence in Whiskey. It took a bit to wear me down, but I do find they have their place. It can be a nice change up from the normal, staples of scotch.
Loved your deep dive into this whisky Shane and never knew about it previously being a NAS. At a younger age I can imagine it was a different beast. Keep em coming! Cheers.
Thanks Jeff! The NAS was very different indeed. More peated, more textbook Islay. I used to prefer it but these days I'm not sure 🤔 The modern PC10 is certainly unique. Cheers 🥃
Great review! I really liked the PC10 because of the distinct layers of flavor and how it shifted gears throughout in a noticeable way. Excellent tasting notes, but the way! I don’t think you get enough recognition for your excellent palate. Cheers, Shane!
It is indeed a very well made and well layered whisky. I feel like they tried to do that with Classic Laddie too but this was more successful IMHO. Thanks for the kind words and cheers!
I have tried 17 different PCs and I enjoy all of them with this 10 year old for me being great value for money. (My all time favourite is PC11) It took me a while to get to know this bottle I actually felt it could do with a bigger peat influence but the flavours have grown on me and it’s now in my core range. I found the Islay barley /Scottish barley bottles interesting to taste the influence a barley can have on a whisky. Good review ..enjoyed watching 🥃 😊
Great video Shane… btw I noticed some sound issues with this review… occasional pops and cracks throughout like on a worn record … maybe just on my end ?? Agree with your early assessment of the first PC10’s… didn’t understand the hype… but the PC10’s from last 3 years are bangers. Noticed a price jump in last month… PC10 jumping from $60 ish to $85 in my area. Also picked up on your “Progressive” mention( surprised Sidd didn’t 😳😅) 😇 Snazzy matching shirt 👕 and jacket . Ok… back to price… I think the jump in price aligns with their range $85 PC10, $150 PC cask exploration, $ 225 PC18. Premium products for premium prices! Ouch wallet 🪪 ! Heads up for anyone still reading this… if you see PC 10 for @ $60 ish grab them now! Cheers 🥃
Good heads up about the possible price increase John. It currently stands at £60 on the official Bruichladdich website. I looked at some of my retailers and it's a bit cheaper at £55 or so. At 50% abv I accept the offer is a bit better than other offerings at the price but that's why I buy PC10. If they bump up the price I'll just buy it less. I love this distillery but they really need to careful about this. Half of the range is ridiculously priced but we always had a good core range. We used to say the same thing about Springbank.
Thanks John. Sadly it's not just on your end 😣 I've recently replaced the laptop I use to record and I'm not sure why it's happening but hopefully I can get it fixed soon. Thanks for letting me know. Hopefully Bruichladdich aren't going to be the next distillery with runaway prices. As WT says, it'll just mean we buy less and they will slowly become less relevant to actual whisky drinkers. The recent pricing of of the 18s and 30yo don't inspire confidence. They're products for the enthusiasts and IMHO they're getting a bit gougey with the pricing. It might generate some short term cash but there's a consequence! Fingers crossed. Cheers 🥃
Great review, Shane 👏 I haven't tasted the PC10, but you definitely provide me with so much info and many thoughts that I feel more than prepared to make a decision whether I want to go for it. Cheers 🥃
Thanks Shane. Very robust review. I have similar preferences to you and i found i enjoyed the second half of the PC10 bottle much more than the first half. Not sure if that was the bottle opening up, or me wrapping my head around the flavour profile. Would be very keen for you to have a look at some of their cask exploration series.
Thanks Joseph. I certainly took a while to warm to and I think that's down to me and not oxidation etc. I actually think it's a very unique flavour profile which I probably should've made more of a point of... but these videos can only be so long 😉 I don't think there's anything else quite like it though. I will buy a Cask Exploration expression at some point. I'll be sure to squirrel away 100ml of this PC10 for comparison too. Cheers 🥃
Hi Shane great in depth review. I quite enjoy the wine influence on this one. It's strange that PC10 doesn't use Islay peat as far as I know and that's why for me I don't get much medicinal notes and rather more earthen and tea like herbal notes from it. I suppose like you said the wine tannins could help with the 'medicinal' like quality as well. I always felt PC10 was unique in it's taste as because of the peat it doesn't drink like a classic Islay but it also doesn't drink like a peated Highlander. A very well made and delicious dram at a fair price. Cheers 🥃
Thanks for yet another excellent review Shane. Love Port Charlotte (but that's no surprise with the nickname I use), but love the older version more. Only downside for me is the wine influence that is noticeable in nose and palate.... Bourbon matured for me all the way. Slàinte mhath
ex bourbon FTW! Also... dare I say it... refill! An unobtrusive cask works wonders for peat. I really enjoyed the old NAS bottle too. I will be reviewing my last bottle soon! But honestly the new bottle is also growing on me. It's not the peat monster than the old one was though. Cheers
In 2018 when i first tried the old transparent bottle, it changed the way i looked at whisky. Before that paying over 50€ for a bottle seemed crazy to me. Now i can't decide if i like this or the old one better, they're both top notch IMO, but i don't have the opportunity to make a side by side comparaison. I wish i did stock up ok the old one. I also bought the islay barley which is has that "organic" hay quality that reminds me of Waterford.
I know the feeling. I've spent a lot of time over the last few weeks comparing the two and after flipflopping on the issue I think I actually prefer the new PC10. They're surprisingly different though. Definitely not a case of 5yo vs 10yo. A bottle of Islay Barley is probably a near future purchase for me. I finished a bottle at around the time I started youtube (2020) and liked it more than Classic Laddie. What country are you in?
I don’t need a tube or box. I know to keep my bottles in a cooler darker place. Still working on doing higher peat level and it’s a challenge. I do enjoy Lagavulin 16 but if I’m drinking it it’s the only pour or the last pour because it’s a palate killer. I don’t know how you can blind different peated bottles after I drink a peated dram my palate is done. Looking for a gentle peated bottle I know Ardbeg is a bit much for me yet. Enjoy!!
When I try different whisky (and beer), I like to eat something at the same time; olives, smoked meat, nuts and cheese. That will help my palate stay alert.
You are the hero we should all aspire to be. Ideally we should be able to do away with all the boxes and tubes. And metal tins should be consigned to the past! But I do appreciate minimalist cardboard boxes. Mainly because I have too many bottles and it often takes me a while to get around to them 😁😬
Only had one bottle of this. It was good at first, but the last bit of the bottle wasn't as good. The cork was also a bit loose, and I think some of it evaporated. Since I bought my bottle, on special for $99 NZD, it has had a huge increase in price, now sitting at around $130 and sometimes more. I won't be repurchasing it at that price. Cheers!
I've had SO many problems with corks in the last few months. Probably half a dozen that have failed to seal or snapped and one that was badly corked. I'm not sure if it's a wider problem or if we've been unlucky but we need a fix for this and soon!
I'm new to Islay scotch, but I'm very much enjoying PC 10 at the moment. If I heard right, you don't favor too much fruitiness. If so, how do you like Lagavulin 16?
Hi! PC10 is one of those whiskies everyone should have at least one bottle of 👍 The fruitiness I'm PC10 (wine casks) is very different to Lagavulin 16 to me. I love the flavour profile of Lagavulin. It's delicious stuff. There are just two things I don't like about it... the low 43% ABV that hobbles the flavour and the fact that it costs so much more than it used to! It's quite a different flavour profile, with a different type of sweetness again, but I've been REALLY enjoying Lagavulin 8 lately. Great price and the 48% ABV let's the flavours shine as they deserve. Cheers 🥃
Good review matey. I like this dram but I can't remember if I ever tried the old NAS. It's funny, when you look back we all thought wine casks and whisky were bad bedfellows. I did have a great Glendronach 12 ex-Sauternes (said to be Chateau d'Yquem) but that was back in the great Billy Walker days and that's a completely different type of wine. The only Octomore I ever bought was the legendary 6.3 which used ex-Rioja casks. It was hard to tell. If any distillery can blend wine casks, successfully, it's Bruichladdich. Drams that I've come back too. That's a hard call these days as most old expressions have decreased in quality. I can't think of a single Scottish distillery. I've always followed the Texan Balcones and the Baby Blue is much better than it was. The Single Malt and Brimstone are better too. Balcones were a start up though so I'm not surprised that they got better with experience. Even though Diageo got their claws into them I completely trust their wonderful head distiller, Jared Himstedt. They said they would decrease the prices when they got certain point in their evolution and they were good on their word. This is a personal confession because I've been hard on them over the years. Penderyn. Penderyn are finally making some good stuff. It's still a bit off the ball, but I have to give them credit. They have grown the distillery in a superb way. I've always wanted their drams to be more ambitious but that's happening even if it's slow progress. I just want them to have the guts to put a frickin age statement on something someday. That's not the philosophy but I want them to move away from that. When I buy their whisky I buy blind due to the marketing to Welsh cretins like me. Just put the goddamn abv to 46% for Christ's sake. Cheers. WT
Hi WT. I do generally really enjoy Sauternes maturations. Madeira too. They both seem to work far, far better to my tastes than the average red wine. I'm not sure why that is but there's a pattern there for me. Was Octomore 6.3 put in ex rioja? I gave that one a B+ in my notes and enjoyed it a lot. Very fruity from my notes but I didn't notice anything winey. I've never bought an X.3 but I begrudgingly admit that they're often better than the X.1... I'll make a note to revisit Balcones at some point on your recommendation. I tried it many years ago, gave it a C and never looked back. I'm glad you're enjoying Peneryn. I've always enjoyed the madeira one available in supermarkets but I'd love to see them push out some age statements too. Cheers
@@WhiskyLock You might not get off on the Balcones. They are definitely an acquired taste but I was with them from the early Chip Tate days and, jeez, if any whisky distillery can claim the term terroir it's Balcones. It's pure Texas. Absolutely no point comparing Balcones with whisky from anywhere else. They are what they are. Baby Blue is young Blue Corn Spirit. Think Boozy M&S Blue Tortillas and better than Mellow Corn. Brimstone is young, scrubby smoke dowsed in Tabasco but it'svery interesting and delicious. The Texas Single Malt is the safest bet and a solid whisky. Octomore 6.3 was Rioja or Ribera. It was such a young peat bomb I doubt we could sense the wine but I'm sure that detail was on the bottle. Ah, Penderyn. Have you seen the latest Icon's of Wales offering? It's a superb presentation in the best wooden box ever. It's called The Patagonia which commemorates the Welsh men and Women that travelled on the ship, Mimosa, to Patagonia in 1865 to start a pure Welsh colony. The hardships they endured are legendary but they survived and there are now 50,000 Welsh descendants and 5,000 Welsh speakers in Patagonia. I said I would never buy another Penderyn bottled at 43% but my heart goes to this expression and our family in Argentina.
@@welshtoro3256 The Balcones I tried many years ago and gave a C was a Texas Single Malt. It's the only one I've tried. I'm leaning towards a Brimstone at the moment. Penderyn know how to spin an intriguing yarn don't they? I haven't tried it but I'll have a look for it.
@@WhiskyLock Balcones Brimstone was the first one I tried and it was pure burnt desert scrub smoke and barbecue. These days it's a better all round spirit. Modern Balcones have a far greater palate of whisky and casks to work with. Head Distiller, Jared, is a real whisky nut as well and knows as much about Scotch as you and I. They have a unique style and are perfect when you fancy something a bit different.
Hey, Shane, Nice review! I love Port Charlotte 10 albeit slightly overpriced IMHO. Currently it is my favorite core-range, age stated Islay peated malt. Rich, interesting, balanced, multi-faceted. I'd very much like to taste some of the fancier "Cask Exploration" bottlings, but so far I haven't seen any in Bulgaria and the prices I see in the online shops in Western Europe and UK are, well....too ambitious... Cheers!
Raplhy said the cask exploration series are not really any better than the core PC10. They're really expensive though. 135€ to 150€ here in Europe. For that price you can get a Ledaig 18.
@@Soldano999Yep. As "sour grapes" as it might look those cask exploration bottles are blatantly overpriced. I wouldn't' pay 135-150 € for Ledaig 18 either :) In fact, I bought a bottle of it for ~91€ last November. If I wanted to shell out ~140€ in Bulgaria I'd buy a bottle of AnCnoc 24.
Hi Nikolay. The prices of the PC special editions are a bit of a joke. Which is why I've never had more than a sample of any of them yet! Maybe one day! Cheers 🥃
@@Nikolay_Nikolov yeah i generally don't buy bottles over 100€ as a rule of thumb. I made an exception for the Ardbeg Spectacular but that wasn't really my smartest move 😅 If i had the means and miney wasn't an issue i would, but you can get great whisky without breaking the bank anyway.
I really like this PC 10. I also like the other variations of the cask exploration series. The only one that I have not really enjoyed is the SC (Sauternes) witch is a bit too sweet for me. Thanks for the review. Cheers
I have some samples of some of the special Port Charlottes. Must get around to trying them! I can imagine Sauternes being a bit much for PC although I do like things like Nectar D'Or. Cheers 🥃
The 10 is great but I prefer the Port Charlotte Islay Barley series. It is a bit younger with a bit more peatiness but still with a good amount of complexity.
A nice wine is a bourbon barrel aged red blend. So taking into account the quality cask shortage, I figured that a used whiskey/wine cask might be a good resource for the whisky industry
I think that's a large part of it. In the early days Bruichladdich were probably taking advantage of their contacts in the wine world to acquire casks and offer something different. These days I bet its more of a necessity now that even bourbon casks aren't easy to get hold of. That would also explain why they seem to be leaning harder into wine casks as the years go by. And to be fair, I've come to like the wine casks in PC10. I hope the rest of Islay don't do the same but it compliments the peat nicely. I'm not sure I'll ever be on board with wine casks for unpeated malt though... but you never know!
@@barryfrombarnsley2790 I haven't. It does sound like a similar cask breakdown though. I've always liked the X.3 Octomores that I've had but they're pricey drams!
I couldn’t find exactly what type of wine it’s meant to be in, but if it is red it leans more towards the stone fruits, orchard fruits and the concerto barley character (elements of it reminded me of a good Albarinho white wine and even a refill Linkwood), I’m not usually big on wine casks, didn’t really enjoy my last classic laddie because of it, but this was a very pleasant surprise. I’ve been lucky enough to try it about half a dozen times and every time I have to give myself a shake at the thought of dropping £200 on a bottle. 😂
It’s a 5 year old, and some of what you were saying about the old NAS PC reminded me of it. It’s worth seeing if you can get a 5cl sample from whisky exchange or master of malt or somewhere
@@WhiskyLock so I tried my port Charlotte. It's good but it's really sweet and different from ardbeg, kilchoman, Laphroaig. For me it's even harder to find smoke in it.
@@Koby616 I think it's definitely the outlier of Islay heavy peat. Which is saying something for what is a very diverse whisky region. I'm not totally sold on the sweetness either (wine casks) but I have come to appreciate it for its uniqueness and quality. For me, it's something best enjoyed occasionally rather than a regular go to. And also something that grows on you with time and familiarity. Maybe you'll find that too 🥃
@@Koby616 Agree that the smoke is somewhat muted. I think that's the wine influence too. Masks too much. It's a shame that we can no longer get straightforward bourbon matured Bruichladdich without paying for Octomore...
"Baby's puke" = that acidic sour note from Laddie . . . it actually offers a different experience than most, weird as it may be. The "journey to 10" An Turas Mor was WAY better. . .
Absolutely! I really prefer the old warts and all characterful Bruichladdichs. I have a bottle of Bruichladdich 18 that I haven't opened yet and I'm hoping it'll have a bit of that character because of when it was distilled.
Probably around about what we pay here in the UK. Perhaps slightly more. While I think there are cheaper alternatives, at least we're getting something good 👍
Maybe that explains why they didn't put it on the label then. If so, they need to update the label though as they no longer sell this with a tin. You may want to keep your tin as you may not get another! To be honest I didn't suspect any foul play but with a distillery like Bruichladdich that prides itself on transparency and integrity there shouldn't be any opportunity for doubt.
I don't think so. I was aware that some would think that but it's pretty prominent, even heavy handed, if you know what you're looking for. Made even more prominent to my tastes because it seems like the wine casks may have been European oak. And made more prominent again by the fact that I just don't particularly like red wine maturations 😬 I'd thoroughly recommend comparing this head to head with the previous NAS Port Charlotte bottled in clear glass if you ever get the chance. It's night and day.
I'm on my second bottle of this... The Port Charlotte 10 is simply delicious!
I'm on my 3th. I really have pc10 problem
A very thoughtful and thorough review of the Port Charlotte 10 year. I too have begun to grow on the wine cask influence in Whiskey. It took a bit to wear me down, but I do find they have their place. It can be a nice change up from the normal, staples of scotch.
Damn them for wearing us down! :-D Agreed it can be a nice change when done well. Cheers
Loved your deep dive into this whisky Shane and never knew about it previously being a NAS. At a younger age I can imagine it was a different beast. Keep em coming! Cheers.
Thanks Jeff! The NAS was very different indeed. More peated, more textbook Islay. I used to prefer it but these days I'm not sure 🤔 The modern PC10 is certainly unique. Cheers 🥃
It is non-chill filtered and has natural color.
Odd that they don't see natural presentation as important enough to go on the label... 🤔
Good info, thank you.
Great review! I really liked the PC10 because of the distinct layers of flavor and how it shifted gears throughout in a noticeable way.
Excellent tasting notes, but the way! I don’t think you get enough recognition for your excellent palate. Cheers, Shane!
It is indeed a very well made and well layered whisky. I feel like they tried to do that with Classic Laddie too but this was more successful IMHO. Thanks for the kind words and cheers!
I have tried 17 different PCs and I enjoy all of them with this 10 year old for me being great value for money. (My all time favourite is PC11) It took me a while to get to know this bottle I actually felt it could do with a bigger peat influence but the flavours have grown on me and it’s now in my core range. I found the Islay barley /Scottish barley bottles interesting to taste the influence a barley can have on a whisky. Good review ..enjoyed watching 🥃 😊
Thanks Jane. Sounds like you're quite the authority on Port Charlotte! And although it took a long time this PC10 has really grown on me too. Cheers 🥃
@@WhiskyLockPC10 is my husbands favourite. 🤩
Great video Shane… btw I noticed some sound issues with this review… occasional pops and cracks throughout like on a worn record … maybe just on my end ??
Agree with your early assessment of the first PC10’s… didn’t understand the hype… but the PC10’s from last 3 years are bangers.
Noticed a price jump in last month… PC10 jumping from $60 ish to $85 in my area.
Also picked up on your “Progressive” mention( surprised Sidd didn’t 😳😅) 😇
Snazzy matching shirt 👕 and jacket .
Ok… back to price… I think the jump in price aligns with their range $85 PC10, $150 PC cask exploration, $ 225 PC18.
Premium products for premium prices! Ouch wallet 🪪 !
Heads up for anyone still reading this… if you see PC 10 for @ $60 ish grab them now!
Cheers 🥃
Good heads up about the possible price increase John. It currently stands at £60 on the official Bruichladdich website. I looked at some of my retailers and it's a bit cheaper at £55 or so. At 50% abv I accept the offer is a bit better than other offerings at the price but that's why I buy PC10. If they bump up the price I'll just buy it less. I love this distillery but they really need to careful about this. Half of the range is ridiculously priced but we always had a good core range. We used to say the same thing about Springbank.
Thanks John. Sadly it's not just on your end 😣 I've recently replaced the laptop I use to record and I'm not sure why it's happening but hopefully I can get it fixed soon. Thanks for letting me know.
Hopefully Bruichladdich aren't going to be the next distillery with runaway prices. As WT says, it'll just mean we buy less and they will slowly become less relevant to actual whisky drinkers.
The recent pricing of of the 18s and 30yo don't inspire confidence. They're products for the enthusiasts and IMHO they're getting a bit gougey with the pricing. It might generate some short term cash but there's a consequence! Fingers crossed. Cheers 🥃
Great review and a great Scotch! Thanks for sharing!
Cheers mate 🥃
Laddie is like wine gums, and Port Charlotte 10 is like smoky liquorice all-sorts. It all makes sense!
Exactly that! 😂
Great review, Shane 👏
I haven't tasted the PC10, but you definitely provide me with so much info and many thoughts that I feel more than prepared to make a decision whether I want to go for it.
Cheers 🥃
Thanks Benny. That's great to hear. Cheers 🥃
Thanks Shane. Very robust review. I have similar preferences to you and i found i enjoyed the second half of the PC10 bottle much more than the first half. Not sure if that was the bottle opening up, or me wrapping my head around the flavour profile. Would be very keen for you to have a look at some of their cask exploration series.
Thanks Joseph. I certainly took a while to warm to and I think that's down to me and not oxidation etc. I actually think it's a very unique flavour profile which I probably should've made more of a point of... but these videos can only be so long 😉 I don't think there's anything else quite like it though.
I will buy a Cask Exploration expression at some point. I'll be sure to squirrel away 100ml of this PC10 for comparison too. Cheers 🥃
Hi Shane great in depth review. I quite enjoy the wine influence on this one. It's strange that PC10 doesn't use Islay peat as far as I know and that's why for me I don't get much medicinal notes and rather more earthen and tea like herbal notes from it. I suppose like you said the wine tannins could help with the 'medicinal' like quality as well. I always felt PC10 was unique in it's taste as because of the peat it doesn't drink like a classic Islay but it also doesn't drink like a peated Highlander. A very well made and delicious dram at a fair price. Cheers 🥃
It is very much its own thing. I don't think there's anything else that quite matches the style. Cheers
Great review. PC10 is one of my favorites.
Cheers
Thanks for yet another excellent review Shane.
Love Port Charlotte (but that's no surprise with the nickname I use), but love the older version more. Only downside for me is the wine influence that is noticeable in nose and palate.... Bourbon matured for me all the way.
Slàinte mhath
ex bourbon FTW! Also... dare I say it... refill! An unobtrusive cask works wonders for peat.
I really enjoyed the old NAS bottle too. I will be reviewing my last bottle soon! But honestly the new bottle is also growing on me. It's not the peat monster than the old one was though. Cheers
@@WhiskyLock y
You're certainly allowed to say it.
Let's establish the refill bourbon society 🫡
Thank you
In 2018 when i first tried the old transparent bottle, it changed the way i looked at whisky. Before that paying over 50€ for a bottle seemed crazy to me.
Now i can't decide if i like this or the old one better, they're both top notch IMO, but i don't have the opportunity to make a side by side comparaison.
I wish i did stock up ok the old one.
I also bought the islay barley which is has that "organic" hay quality that reminds me of Waterford.
I know the feeling. I've spent a lot of time over the last few weeks comparing the two and after flipflopping on the issue I think I actually prefer the new PC10. They're surprisingly different though. Definitely not a case of 5yo vs 10yo.
A bottle of Islay Barley is probably a near future purchase for me. I finished a bottle at around the time I started youtube (2020) and liked it more than Classic Laddie.
What country are you in?
I don’t need a tube or box. I know to keep my bottles in a cooler darker place. Still working on doing higher peat level and it’s a challenge. I do enjoy Lagavulin 16 but if I’m drinking it it’s the only pour or the last pour because it’s a palate killer. I don’t know how you can blind different peated bottles after I drink a peated dram my palate is done. Looking for a gentle peated bottle I know Ardbeg is a bit much for me yet. Enjoy!!
When I try different whisky (and beer), I like to eat something at the same time; olives, smoked meat, nuts and cheese. That will help my palate stay alert.
You are the hero we should all aspire to be. Ideally we should be able to do away with all the boxes and tubes. And metal tins should be consigned to the past! But I do appreciate minimalist cardboard boxes. Mainly because I have too many bottles and it often takes me a while to get around to them 😁😬
Terrific review Shane! I understand your disappointment and I have leaned a lot from your review. Cheers! 🙂
Thanks Christine 🙂 Great to hear. Cheers 🥃
@@WhiskyLock Thanks Shane! Have a terrific day! Your videos are always so appreciated! Big time!! 🙂
Only had one bottle of this. It was good at first, but the last bit of the bottle wasn't as good. The cork was also a bit loose, and I think some of it evaporated. Since I bought my bottle, on special for $99 NZD, it has had a huge increase in price, now sitting at around $130 and sometimes more. I won't be repurchasing it at that price. Cheers!
I've had SO many problems with corks in the last few months. Probably half a dozen that have failed to seal or snapped and one that was badly corked. I'm not sure if it's a wider problem or if we've been unlucky but we need a fix for this and soon!
I'm new to Islay scotch, but I'm very much enjoying PC 10 at the moment.
If I heard right, you don't favor too much fruitiness. If so, how do you like Lagavulin 16?
Hi! PC10 is one of those whiskies everyone should have at least one bottle of 👍
The fruitiness I'm PC10 (wine casks) is very different to Lagavulin 16 to me. I love the flavour profile of Lagavulin. It's delicious stuff. There are just two things I don't like about it... the low 43% ABV that hobbles the flavour and the fact that it costs so much more than it used to!
It's quite a different flavour profile, with a different type of sweetness again, but I've been REALLY enjoying Lagavulin 8 lately. Great price and the 48% ABV let's the flavours shine as they deserve. Cheers 🥃
Good review matey. I like this dram but I can't remember if I ever tried the old NAS. It's funny, when you look back we all thought wine casks and whisky were bad bedfellows. I did have a great Glendronach 12 ex-Sauternes (said to be Chateau d'Yquem) but that was back in the great Billy Walker days and that's a completely different type of wine. The only Octomore I ever bought was the legendary 6.3 which used ex-Rioja casks. It was hard to tell. If any distillery can blend wine casks, successfully, it's Bruichladdich.
Drams that I've come back too. That's a hard call these days as most old expressions have decreased in quality. I can't think of a single Scottish distillery. I've always followed the Texan Balcones and the Baby Blue is much better than it was. The Single Malt and Brimstone are better too. Balcones were a start up though so I'm not surprised that they got better with experience. Even though Diageo got their claws into them I completely trust their wonderful head distiller, Jared Himstedt. They said they would decrease the prices when they got certain point in their evolution and they were good on their word.
This is a personal confession because I've been hard on them over the years. Penderyn. Penderyn are finally making some good stuff. It's still a bit off the ball, but I have to give them credit. They have grown the distillery in a superb way. I've always wanted their drams to be more ambitious but that's happening even if it's slow progress. I just want them to have the guts to put a frickin age statement on something someday. That's not the philosophy but I want them to move away from that. When I buy their whisky I buy blind due to the marketing to Welsh cretins like me. Just put the goddamn abv to 46% for Christ's sake. Cheers. WT
Hi WT. I do generally really enjoy Sauternes maturations. Madeira too. They both seem to work far, far better to my tastes than the average red wine. I'm not sure why that is but there's a pattern there for me.
Was Octomore 6.3 put in ex rioja? I gave that one a B+ in my notes and enjoyed it a lot. Very fruity from my notes but I didn't notice anything winey. I've never bought an X.3 but I begrudgingly admit that they're often better than the X.1...
I'll make a note to revisit Balcones at some point on your recommendation. I tried it many years ago, gave it a C and never looked back.
I'm glad you're enjoying Peneryn. I've always enjoyed the madeira one available in supermarkets but I'd love to see them push out some age statements too. Cheers
@@WhiskyLock You might not get off on the Balcones. They are definitely an acquired taste but I was with them from the early Chip Tate days and, jeez, if any whisky distillery can claim the term terroir it's Balcones. It's pure Texas. Absolutely no point comparing Balcones with whisky from anywhere else. They are what they are. Baby Blue is young Blue Corn Spirit. Think Boozy M&S Blue Tortillas and better than Mellow Corn. Brimstone is young, scrubby smoke dowsed in Tabasco but it'svery interesting and delicious. The Texas Single Malt is the safest bet and a solid whisky.
Octomore 6.3 was Rioja or Ribera. It was such a young peat bomb I doubt we could sense the wine but I'm sure that detail was on the bottle.
Ah, Penderyn. Have you seen the latest Icon's of Wales offering? It's a superb presentation in the best wooden box ever. It's called The Patagonia which commemorates the Welsh men and Women that travelled on the ship, Mimosa, to Patagonia in 1865 to start a pure Welsh colony. The hardships they endured are legendary but they survived and there are now 50,000 Welsh descendants and 5,000 Welsh speakers in Patagonia. I said I would never buy another Penderyn bottled at 43% but my heart goes to this expression and our family in Argentina.
@@welshtoro3256 The Balcones I tried many years ago and gave a C was a Texas Single Malt. It's the only one I've tried. I'm leaning towards a Brimstone at the moment.
Penderyn know how to spin an intriguing yarn don't they? I haven't tried it but I'll have a look for it.
@@WhiskyLock Balcones Brimstone was the first one I tried and it was pure burnt desert scrub smoke and barbecue. These days it's a better all round spirit. Modern Balcones have a far greater palate of whisky and casks to work with. Head Distiller, Jared, is a real whisky nut as well and knows as much about Scotch as you and I. They have a unique style and are perfect when you fancy something a bit different.
Hey, Shane,
Nice review! I love Port Charlotte 10 albeit slightly overpriced IMHO. Currently it is my favorite core-range, age stated Islay peated malt. Rich, interesting, balanced, multi-faceted.
I'd very much like to taste some of the fancier "Cask Exploration" bottlings, but so far I haven't seen any in Bulgaria and the prices I see in the online shops in Western Europe and UK are, well....too ambitious...
Cheers!
Raplhy said the cask exploration series are not really any better than the core PC10. They're really expensive though. 135€ to 150€ here in Europe.
For that price you can get a Ledaig 18.
@@Soldano999Yep. As "sour grapes" as it might look those cask exploration bottles are blatantly overpriced. I wouldn't' pay 135-150 € for Ledaig 18 either :) In fact, I bought a bottle of it for ~91€ last November. If I wanted to shell out ~140€ in Bulgaria I'd buy a bottle of AnCnoc 24.
Hi Nikolay. The prices of the PC special editions are a bit of a joke. Which is why I've never had more than a sample of any of them yet! Maybe one day! Cheers 🥃
@@Nikolay_Nikolov yeah i generally don't buy bottles over 100€ as a rule of thumb.
I made an exception for the Ardbeg Spectacular but that wasn't really my smartest move 😅
If i had the means and miney wasn't an issue i would, but you can get great whisky without breaking the bank anyway.
I really like this PC 10. I also like the other variations of the cask exploration series. The only one that I have not really enjoyed is the SC (Sauternes) witch is a bit too sweet for me. Thanks for the review. Cheers
I have some samples of some of the special Port Charlottes. Must get around to trying them! I can imagine Sauternes being a bit much for PC although I do like things like Nectar D'Or. Cheers 🥃
The 10 is great but I prefer the Port Charlotte Islay Barley series. It is a bit younger with a bit more peatiness but still with a good amount of complexity.
Haven't tried that one but it sounds like I'd like it 👍
A nice wine is a bourbon barrel aged red blend. So taking into account the quality cask shortage, I figured that a used whiskey/wine cask might be a good resource for the whisky industry
I think that's a large part of it. In the early days Bruichladdich were probably taking advantage of their contacts in the wine world to acquire casks and offer something different. These days I bet its more of a necessity now that even bourbon casks aren't easy to get hold of. That would also explain why they seem to be leaning harder into wine casks as the years go by.
And to be fair, I've come to like the wine casks in PC10. I hope the rest of Islay don't do the same but it compliments the peat nicely. I'm not sure I'll ever be on board with wine casks for unpeated malt though... but you never know!
Have you tried to new-ish Octomore 14.3? That’s these wine casks as well and it’s extremely moreish
@@barryfrombarnsley2790 I haven't. It does sound like a similar cask breakdown though. I've always liked the X.3 Octomores that I've had but they're pricey drams!
I couldn’t find exactly what type of wine it’s meant to be in, but if it is red it leans more towards the stone fruits, orchard fruits and the concerto barley character (elements of it reminded me of a good Albarinho white wine and even a refill Linkwood), I’m not usually big on wine casks, didn’t really enjoy my last classic laddie because of it, but this was a very pleasant surprise. I’ve been lucky enough to try it about half a dozen times and every time I have to give myself a shake at the thought of dropping £200 on a bottle. 😂
It’s a 5 year old, and some of what you were saying about the old NAS PC reminded me of it. It’s worth seeing if you can get a 5cl sample from whisky exchange or master of malt or somewhere
Great review. If it's like ardbeg ugi I should like it. 😊
Ardbeg Uigeadail but a bit darker and spicier I think. Cheers Koby 🥃
@@WhiskyLock so I tried my port Charlotte. It's good but it's really sweet and different from ardbeg, kilchoman, Laphroaig. For me it's even harder to find smoke in it.
@@Koby616 I think it's definitely the outlier of Islay heavy peat. Which is saying something for what is a very diverse whisky region.
I'm not totally sold on the sweetness either (wine casks) but I have come to appreciate it for its uniqueness and quality.
For me, it's something best enjoyed occasionally rather than a regular go to. And also something that grows on you with time and familiarity. Maybe you'll find that too 🥃
@@Koby616 Agree that the smoke is somewhat muted. I think that's the wine influence too. Masks too much. It's a shame that we can no longer get straightforward bourbon matured Bruichladdich without paying for Octomore...
"Baby's puke" = that acidic sour note from Laddie . . . it actually offers a different experience than most, weird as it may be. The "journey to 10" An Turas Mor was WAY better. . .
Absolutely! I really prefer the old warts and all characterful Bruichladdichs. I have a bottle of Bruichladdich 18 that I haven't opened yet and I'm hoping it'll have a bit of that character because of when it was distilled.
I paid $80 for a bottle of this in the US
Probably around about what we pay here in the UK. Perhaps slightly more. While I think there are cheaper alternatives, at least we're getting something good 👍
I would not say it is heavily peated, maybe medium-high. Apart from that, I agree with everything you sad, as always.
Medium High is probably fair. It's certainly not as heavily peated as the old NAS bottle. But high enough unless you're craving a peat fix. Cheers 🥃
🥃👍🏻😊😊
On my tin, it clearly says ncf and non coloured
Maybe that explains why they didn't put it on the label then. If so, they need to update the label though as they no longer sell this with a tin.
You may want to keep your tin as you may not get another!
To be honest I didn't suspect any foul play but with a distillery like Bruichladdich that prides itself on transparency and integrity there shouldn't be any opportunity for doubt.
You are overstating the influence of the wine casks.
I don't think so. I was aware that some would think that but it's pretty prominent, even heavy handed, if you know what you're looking for. Made even more prominent to my tastes because it seems like the wine casks may have been European oak. And made more prominent again by the fact that I just don't particularly like red wine maturations 😬
I'd thoroughly recommend comparing this head to head with the previous NAS Port Charlotte bottled in clear glass if you ever get the chance. It's night and day.