I couldn’t attend the Whisky Truthful in Limburg this 12 months, as I used to be travelling to Canterbury and London on the identical weekend, a visit that had been deliberate two years in the past. Nevertheless, Martin from Maltbarn was sort sufficient to ship me a couple of samples of his number of bottles that have been offered on the competition.
We begin with a 20 12 months previous Port Charlotte 2001. Twenty years already – this should be the oldest model I’ve had to date. I nonetheless bear in mind my first bottles of PC5 and later PC6 which was additionally a 2001 classic.
Port Charlotte 20 yo 2001 (54,9%, Maltbarn 2021, bourbon cask, 135 btl.)
Nostril: a very nice, deep but pretty mild smokiness combined with a recent minty breeze. Hints of moist gravel and olive oil, in addition to some medicinal notes. Smoked leather-based and paprika. Sweeter notes beneath, in addition to some vanilla. The age makes this a extremely built-in, advanced Port Charlotte.
Mouth: greater than anticipated, that is nonetheless very punchy. Plenty of heat smoke, iodine and smouldering barbecue. Candy fruity notes within the background. Then within the foreground spicy notes construct up (pepper, clove) with a touch of candy ginger, drying seaweed and sheep wool. Very ashy in direction of the tip.
End: lengthy, with a number of coal mud, pepper and a bittersweet oily notice.
Very nice. It’s an outstanding distillate that hasn’t misplaced any of its energy after twenty years. Good complexity and richness. Really useful. Examine Maltbarn for extra particulars (though this bottle isn’t talked about on the web site but).
In one of many earlier batches of Maltbarn we additionally discovered this Bruichladdich 2006 which was bottled for Whisky & Phrases, apparently a whisky den within the Central district of Hong Kong. In some way my assessment didn’t come on-line again then, so let’s add it now as a bonus.
Bruichladdich 14 yo 2006 (54,3%, Maltbarn 2020, sherry cask, 160 btl.)
Nostril: traditional Laddie complexity. There’s dusty barley, sea air and whiffs of melons. Additionally mineral oils, moist materials and putty, virtually a mild model of Springbank. Gentle grassy notes, damaged branches and refined farmy touches as nicely. I like this model.
Mouth: similar ideas. It’s sharp and targeted at first, with a number of oily notes and minerals, white pepper and hay, but additionally heat fruity traces within the background. Melons, then grapefruit. A bit mint and juniper berries, in addition to some sherry-related spices like nutmeg.
End: lengthy, nonetheless spicy, with lingering minerals and farmy touches.
A extremely nice choice, it reveals an intense, traditional Islay character albeit with out the smoke. A beautiful character, undoubtedly from an excellent cask. I assume all bottles have discovered a house already. Rating: 89/100
