Style: Herbal, Citrus fruits and Ashy
Nose:
Starts with a pleasing blend of citrus drops, barbecue smoke, maritime notes and earthy peat. Vanilla milk emerges, a touch of herbal overtone, which then morphed into some generous seaweed signatures. Smoked ham, more citrus lollies and some apricots perhaps hiding up at the attic. Optimal chilli and peppermint spices with a few mineral flicks.
Palate:
Smoky orange pop drives in with a medicinal white spirit current on the palate to form some sweet lozenges at the front. Hay stack, flinty notes, coconut shreds and vanilla milk unveiling as medicinal tone starts to wane. Sweetness levitates and takes a more delicate form – Glazed pears, star fruits and even a hint of white jasmine. Another dose of smoked tea, bitter herbs lingers till the end.
Finish:
Mint lemon squash fuses with tobacco ashes, which is then drying up with a liquorice and herbal tail.
Thoughts:
A rather herbal dram we have here, couldn’t help but wondering if the house style is taking a slight grassy/herbal turn? From memory the previous version is banging more on maritime smoke and farm-y notes. Anyway, I have high expectations on this one because the last one I tried was very impressive. So this Port Charlotte manages to find a nice balance point of all the elements involved – the distillate, sweetness, peat smoke, finesse, etc. are all nicely calibrated and fired at a comfortable pace. Not sure if this is as good as the previous batch, but I am a happy man here.
☆ [Recommended]
[50% • Original Bottling • General Release • Non Coloured • Non Chill Filtered • 2018 Bottled • *-]
-Esmond
WhiskNick 