Port Charlotte 12 Year (2003), Private Cask #863
Whisky : Port Charlotte 12 Year (2003), Private Cask #863
Country/Region : Scotland/Islay
ABV : 50%
Cask : Sherry Hogshead
Age : 12 Year (Distilled Oct. 2003, Bottled Jan. 2016)
Nose : Meaty and lactic with subtle smokey vanilla. Marinated pork, earthy florals, and freshly lit charcoal briquettes arrived before the nose took a funky turn. Coffeeshop dairy fridge or a walk-in at a grocery store where people hide for their smoke breaks; dried old dairy, polished steel, and subtle smoke.
Palate : Medium bodied with sharp notes of salt, honey, and minerals. Hints of dried fruits washed in on a wave of maritime brine and sweet clover honey. A mild smoke developed with notes of dried grass, polished brass, and graphite pencils.
Finish : Lingering dried grass, subtle smoke, and floral notes— the wife pinned it as cucumber water.
Score : 3
Mental Image : Dairy Fridge Deep Clean
Notes : If you have ever worked at a coffee shop and had to deep clean a dairy fridge, or worked in a grocery store and had to handle the dairy stocking— I have no doubt you will pick up right away an unmistakable note of dried slightly spoiled dairy on the nose of this. While I love drams that surface a bit of nostalgia I cannot say this really hit any favorite memories— even if they were remarkably clear.
On color I would assume this was actually a refill sherry hogshead though based on the taste profile I doubt I would have been able to blindly guess this was sherry at all. I picked up little cask influence besides maybe that initial hint of something like fruit punch on the palate.
Overall, there were a surprising amount of mineral and metallic notes to this mildly funky Port Charlotte. This had some elements I really enjoyed, but overall it felt disjointed and a little bit hot. A few drops of water did smooth it out, but also seemed to take away from the mouthfeel and brought out some bitterness to the finish.
Image Credit : Whisky Auctioneer
