Port Charlotte PAC:01 2011

 

I do love Bruichladdich and their peated variant Port Charlotte; this is their PAC:01, which is part of their cask exploration series. Here is Bruichladdich's own explanation:

Introducing the newest Cask Exploration edition of our heavily peated Islay single malt, the Port Charlotte PAC:01 2011 demonstrates the versatility of our soft, barbeque smokey Scotch in the highest quality French oak casks. Two parcels of Scottish barley distilled spirit have matured for a minimum of six years in ex-American oak casks before being transferred to red wine casks from the Gironde left bank, north of Bordeaux. Bottled at 56.1% abv, this spirit showcases stunning spice and fruit notes. It is a rich and elegant, undeniably Islay single malt.

Wolfburn 3 Year "Aurora" Sherry Oak

 

I had a drink of Wolfburn's first release, and enjoyed it quite a bit. This bottle is a more recent one, where Wolfburn has begun experimenting a bit: unpeated, matured in 40% second-fill quarter casks, 40% first fill bourbon, and 20% first-fill Oloroso hogsheads. Non-chill-filtered, uncolored, and bottled at a nice 46%. Thank you to Rob Martin for the bottle! Let's see how my second dram from Wolfburn does...

Edradour 11 Year Cask Strength

 

Picture credit to Potomac Wines  - get a load of the color!! It's like blackstrap rum. 

I'm a big Edradour fan, going way back - it was maybe the first sherry-matured Scotch I ever had, back in 2013/2014. Over the intervening years I've had most of the major variations on it - but never a cask strength version. Many, many thanks to Rob Martin for saving me the last few drams from this bottle of cask strength 11 year!

Balvenie 15 Year Single Barrel Sherry Cask

 

This is a bottle I've been eager to try for some time - thank you to Rob Martin for the final dram out of this one! Balvenie was one of the first "real" bottles of Scotch I had - one that made me realize the full flavor universe of Scotch. Specifically, it was probably the 14 year Caribbean Cask, back in 2014 or so. I've always respected the quality of their spirit. Therefore, it was only a matter of time and opportunity until I reviewed the 15 Year single barrel sherry cask release.

Bowmore 11 Year (Classic Cask)

 

This is the third bottling I've had from independent bottler The Classic Cask - the first two were an Aberlour and a Craigellachie, both of which were atypical examples of their kind. Therefore I'm super curious about this Bowmore! I recently had a fantastic (if unusual) 17 year Bowmore, and am excited to see what this single cask 11 year bottling brings to the table. 

Balmenach 7 Year (SMWS 48.120 "Worm Tub Stodge")

 

Balmenach is a very old distillery, founded in 1824 (as "Balminoch") by James McGregor (a known smuggler, which was a surprisingly common profession back then). It's currently owned by Inver House, who also owns Speyburn, Knockdhu/anCnoc, Old Pulteney, and Balblair. Balmenach is commonly used in blends like Crabbie's. 

It was one of the very first distilleries sanctioned by the Excise Act of 1823; if you want more data on that, please consult Charlie MacLean's fantastic book "Malt Whisky" - I just finished it, and it's fantastic. 

Tullibardine 8 Year (SMWS 28.51 "Classical and Fulsome")

 

I have never had Tullibardine before this single cask bottling from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"). Tullibardine is not an old distillery, founded in 1949, located in Blackford in Perthshire. 

Ardmore 7 Year (SMWS 66.193 "An Engine Starter For Cold Mornings")

 

Anyone who has read through this blog over the last year or two knows I'm a big fan of Ardmore, a somewhat chameleon-esque distillery in the eastern Highlands of Scotland. Capable of making all kinds of wild, vivid flavors, I buy almost every single cask offering that's released by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS").

Highland Park 13 Year (SMWS 4.278 "By the Beautiful Sea")

 

I basically bought this bottle entirely on the strength of the previous revatted bottling of Highland Park that I obtained from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"). That bottle was called "Dining by the Harbor" and was a fragrant, coastal, fruity, floral, softly smokey dram that I poured and poured and poured into my glass. 

Bowmore 17 Year (SMWS 3.324 "Split Personality")

 

I've been waiting for this for some time - an older single cask Bowmore! I am one of those who hasn't terribly been impressed at all with the uber-funky 15 Year official bottling, and can't source any of the older bottlings that everyone else seems to rave about (generally the 18-to-27 year range) for a price below First Born Child. 

But finally I have my chance to have a full-strength bottle from the gentle, fragrant Islay distillery that is Bowmore. This single cask bottling is released via the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") under their Lightly Peated flavor category, nicknamed "Split Personality." But it's not without some peculiarities...

Douglas Laing's Big Peat Christmas Edition 2019 Cask Strength blend, Second Take

 

I don't know why, but I am still finding Douglas Laing's Big Peat Christmas Edition from 2019 (you can tell because it's bottled at 53.7% ABV) on the shelves of local Washington D.C. liquor stores. At *very* competitive prices. We're talking ~$50 for a cast strength Islay blend that includes Ardbeg and Port Ellen (however small the proportions might be) and Bowmore and Caol Ila. 

I guess this is still something of a secret in the Scotch community, perhaps only known to Islay maniacs and smokeheads. But boy did I love my last two bottles, and now I'm going to review this third version, even though it's been two years since it came out. 

Smokehead High Voltage Islay Single Malt (NAS), Second Take

 

I decided to re-sample some of the Smokehead High Voltage Islay single malt whisky, after finding some lately at a competitive price. I've already accepted that I spend every cent of my disposable income on Scotch... might as well make it interesting!

Coming from bottler Ian MacLeod, this is unidentified, no age statement Islay whisky. It's young and very much in-your-face. The normal bottling is only 43% ABV - who has time for that? This "High Voltage" edition is bottled at 58% - now that's more like it. 

Bunnahabhain 7 Year (SMWS 10.216 "Creels and Harbors")

In the past year I have had no less than five six-or-seven-year single cask bottlings of peated Bunnahabhain from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"). As my friend Rob Martin would say, it should be its own category of Scotch by this point, along with the ubiquitous 10 year Caol Ila. I'm only surprised at this point that kitchen sinks don't have a third tap for 10 year Caol Ila, next to the hot and cold water. It's everywhere. 

As the weather cools off, my taste for peat grows and grows, and this came with a particularly high recommendation during the SMWS's 2021 Gathering - a sort of general Scotch festival they hosted. I made an impulse purchase and now the bottle sits next to me, waiting for review. Let's investigate!