Whisky : Port Charlotte 8 Year Rum Cask; Dramfool

Country/Region : Islay

ABV : 62.7%

Cask : 2nd Fill Rum Barrel (Distilled April 2009, Bottled July 2017)

Tasting : Neat in a Glencairn @ Whisky Tasting

Nose : Slightly overripe tropical fruits— papaya and plantains.  Lovely smoke from a smoldering earthen oven and a bit of meringue creaminess.  Behind it all is the classic barnyard funk of Bruichladdich, bits of rotting vegetation, spoiled fruit, and dried manure.

Palate : Loads of peppery spice, bright lemon, and sweet honeycomb come tumbling out.  The dram has a lovely medium body with a nice palate coating oiliness.  The tropical fruits rest in the background, mostly starchy plantain with bits of charred sweetness.  Lovely smoke and steam from a doused bucket of charcoal embers.  Hints of earthy herbs and mint peek through from time to time.

Finish : Lovely lingering spices and earthy smoke.

Score : 8

Mental Image : Pig sty tropical slop trough.

Something Better : Port Charlotte 13 Year; Rest & Be Thankful (more complex, less fruit, more earth)

Something Worse : Ardbeg Drum CR (less body, less funk, more char)

Something Worse : Glenfiddich Fire & Cane (less body, less finish, similar hints of fruit & bright spice)

Notes : This is everything that I wanted from Ardbeg’s 2019 Drum Committee Release.  It has the lovely bits of tropical fruit, beautifully rich peat notes, and Bruichladdich’s savory barnyard funk to tie it all together.  I had no idea that there was Port Charlotte aging in ex-rum or refill rum barrels, though I am not surprised.  Bruichladdich has never made a secret of their eclectic cask experimentation, but rum casks are not something I have ever seen from them.  I hope this is not the end of their trials with rum aging, this is just such a beautiful combination of the fruity rum influence with the earthy notes of Port Charlotte that I am left wanting more.

Dramfool is a U.K. independent bottler whose early releases were often barrels that individuals had purchased but then elected to sell on—or perhaps they only wanted a few bottles from the cask and decided to sell off the rest of it.  Dramfool has ended up with some absolutely brilliant Port Charlottes in the past and they are without a doubt an independent bottler worth keeping an eye on.  They are quite discerning and very selective in what they bottle and so far that handful of their offerings I have tried have all been excellent.