Islay

Port Charlotte 10 Year

The distillery of Port Charlotte lies two miles south of Bruichladdich facing Loch Indaal and is where the parent company’s peatier whiskies are distilled. Though the distillery was resurrected some years ago by Bruichladdich, the Port Charlotte 10 year is a recent addition to the stable of offerings. The barley used is from the Shire of Invernes, Scotland’s largest county, which covers parts of the northern Highlands and the Outer Hebrides. Even the casking is particular, with 75% of the maturation happening in first or second fill American whisky casks, and with 25% coming from second fill French wine casks. We assume that since the website does not list the exact American whiskies or French wines, it must mean there are many potential options and thus would be impossible to list for a uniform bottling expression.

By Adam | February 5, 2020 | Islay | No Comments |

There are many things to do when you’re a distillery coming up on your 200th anniversary, and Lagavulin celebrated the occasion in 2016 by releasing the Lagavulin 8 to mark the bicentenary, along with a 12 year cask strength. In late 2017, Lagavulin made the 8 year part of its core range, reportedly because of the positive response it received throughout 2016. The choice to release the scotch at 8 years was a call back to a visit by famed whisky journalist Alfred Barnard in the late 1880s, specifically mentioning an 8 year Lagavulin as “exceptionally fine” in his book The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom.

By Adam | June 6, 2019 | Islay | No Comments |

The Distillers Editions are a series of scotches from Diageo’s portfolio of distilleries, wherein each introductory whisky is further aged in another barrel for various times to impart finishing characteristics. We here at Scotchology have already reviewed the Oban, Lagavulin and Cragganmore variants. The Caol Ila Distillers Edition starts life as the 12 year offering, which we’ve already reviewed here, and further finished in ex-Moscatel sherry casks.

By Adam | May 5, 2019 | Islay | No Comments |