In 2024 Bruichladdich released limited edition 18 Year versions of the unpeated Bruichladdich and the peatier Port Charlotte. I reviewed the Laddie after someone in the local whisky scene called it “absolute dog water.” Being no fan of the unpeated Laddie, I had to see for myself, and I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. I heard far fewer qualms about the Port Charlotte, and the time has come to see how it compares!

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Whisky: Port Charlotte 18 Year (2004), 2024 Limited Release

Country/Region: Scotland/Islay

ABV: 54.3%

Cask: Refill Sherry, Refill French Oak

Age: 18 Years (Distilled 2004, Bottled 11 Aug. 2023)

Notes: The aroma was wonderfully farmy and earthy— a pasture or paddock of dried hay, old manure, dry earth, rusty water troughs, and a touch of animal. Barbecue smoke with hints of sweet ketchup-based sauce developed more slowly while a faint medicinal menthol lingered in the background. Medium-bodied on the palate, the flavor profile was familiar, though the flavors were mellow and the whisky more spirited. Peppery and earthy with dried straw and hints of the pasture— the earthiness gradually pulled toward ginger and grassy fresh sugar cane. Barbecue smoke blanketed over the top with more peppery, slightly acrid, metallic smoke, less meaty than the aroma. A kiss of caramelized sugars and heather waited on the back end, a fleeting hint of something almost floral and maritime amongst the earth.  The finish was medium-length and peppery with a touch of pasture, earth, and fresh ginger.

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Score: 7 (81)

Mental Image: Roadside Produce Stand’s Ginger-Ade

Conclusion: Simple, effective fare; I hoped for a bit more complexity after eighteen years, but I appreciated the simplicity and clarity of the flavors. Nothing was overly muddled or conflicted, it was all well-ordered with a clearly defined evolution, even if not as deep or evolving as I expected. The aroma was characterful, mirroring some of the aspects I enjoyed on the unpeated Laddie 18 Year. The flavor profile was where my enjoyment slipped as this took on more acrid and peppery qualities— I was shocked how spirited this felt considering the aroma was absent any big peppery or spirited elements. Overall, a good whisky, though I thought the limited release of  18 Year Bruichladdich was a peg or two better, and I slightly prefer many of the limited edition wine maturations to this (ie, MRC, PAC, etc.)