Port Charlotte recently introduced its Islay Barley 2014, the latest release in the island provenance series from Bruichladdich Distillery.
A statement from the makers of Port Charlotte notes that this single malt was distilled, matured and bottled on Islay using barley grown exclusively on the island from eight separate farms.
Those farms, located within 15 miles of the distillery, saw each local farmer take on the challenging conditions of growing and delivering barley on the island, using the grain for the 2014 vintage.
The result? A Port Charlotte single malt with total traceability and provenance.
“Our Port Charlotte Islay Barley expressions encapsulate everything an Islay whisky can and should be, and the latest 2014 vintage is no different,” said Head Distiller Adam Hannett. “However, growing on Islay is no mean feat. Our location on Scotland’s rugged west coast and unpredictable weather, coupled with grazing wild geese and deer, means a successful harvest is never a given. But it’s a risk worth taking.”
He said that using Islay grown barley adds complexity to the character of this single malt.
“This is a whisky which evokes a true sense of place, helps support Islay’s agricultural economy and celebrates our island community,” Hannett added.
From just one farmer in 2004, Bruichladdich Distillery now works with a total of 20 farming partners on Islay, with more than 50 percent of the distillery’s barley grown on the remote Hebridean island.
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The distiller noted that these farming partnerships not only help develop new soil-improving practices and encourage crop diversification, but support the overall agricultural community.
The distiller’s notes show that Port Charlotte Islay Barley 2014 offers a delicate balance of fruit and smoke. It clocks in at 50% ABV and is peated to 40 PPM. The maturation profile consists of 84% in first fill bourbon casks, 8% in second fill virgin oak, and 8% in second fill Bordeaux wine casks.
On the nose, it features aromas of malty digestive biscuits and peat embers, then hints of sweet vanilla and notes of honey, toffee and crème brulee. On the palate, a citrus tang is counterbalanced with gentle peat smoke, and hints of apricot, peach and ripe melon.
On the finish are notes of stoned fruit and toasted oak, balanced with a lingering hint of Port Charlotte’s signature barbeque smoke.
Port Charlotte Islay Barley 2014 has a suggested retail price of £75 and is now available at www.bruichladdich.com or at selected specialist whisky retailers.
Bruichladdich Distillery is situated on the southwestern tip of the Hebridean island of Islay. They distill four distinct spirits:
- Bruichladdich, unpeated Islay single malt Scotch whisky.
- Port Charlotte, heavily peated Islay single malt Scotch whisky (40PPM).
- Octomore, the world’s most heavily peated Scotch whisky series (80+PPM).
- The Botanist Gin, the first Islay dry gin.
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