This Port Charlotte 10 year old has been conceived, distilled, matured & bottled on Islay alone. On the nose, the smoke is calmed by the marine, ozone character. Time has brought a balance, a harmony in the combination of oak, smoke & spirit. While the smoke is always discernible on the nose it is dry, earthy, peat-ash in its style & so allows the oak to come forward with waves of golden caramel, fudge, vanilla custard, hints of ginger, nutmeg & clove. There is citrus fruit, coaxed from the glass with a drop of water, gentle lemon meringue & clementine. Breathe deeply & the floral aromas of wild thyme, heather & sea pink bring you to this Atlantic coast. On the palate, there is a noticeable delicacy & softness in texture & style. Again, the balance of flavour is superb as the smoke wraps loosely around the sweetness drawn from deep within the oak. Coconut, vanilla custard, lemon honey combines with smoked oysters & sun-baked salty s&. The finish is sublime, smoky sure, but also the soft sweetness of fudge & malted barley, orange, mango & Banoffee pie hinting of the depth & quality of the oak. The many layers interchange on each sip. As the smoke comes & goes so too the notes of the spirit, ripe apple & apricot, beautifully intertwined with malt & oak sweetness & that typical Port Charlotte style dry smoke. Ageing for 10 years on the shores of Loch Indaal has had a profound effect on this spirit. Like sunshine on a winters day, this Port Charlotte 10 brings clarity & lightens the mood, welcoming & brightening the future. ...

The heavily peated malt for this new dram has been created from harvests brought home from three Islay farms, by Raymond & his farming colleagues Neil Mclellan & Raymond Fletcher. The resulting rich, aromatic Port Charlotte wash was trickle distilled in Bruichladdich's Victorian stillhouse during 2011. Moving forward, there are now 19 farmers who have made the commitment to grow for the distillery. ...

What fashions a mans character? His family, his upbringing, his life experience? Certainly these, but here on the remote rhinns of Islay we are constantly reminded of the heritage of our forefathers
- The evidence of their culture & beliefs, their endurance & skills still shine through clearly to those who care to look more closely. What mark can we leave that will bear testament to this land & those generations that have gone before? We haver chosen ou spirit, its what we know, as did they
- Its the medium that connects & sustains us & we give thanks that we are part of a lineage that is unbowed by time & tribulation. No man could wish for more. AR Duthchas

...

Peated to a heavyweight 40ppm, Port Charlotte Scottish barley is a cuvee crafted from casks h&-picked by master distiller Jim Mc Ewan. It showcases the supreme elegance of this remarkable single malt
- a union of the classic floral elegance of Bruichladdich & heavy peat. Trickle distilled from 100% Scottish barley, the spirit gently matures in the lochside village of Port Charlotte before being bottled here at the distillery using Islay spring water.
...

Smooth as pebbles in a pool. It's clean, fresh & lively with both the oak & the grain in perfect harmony. Made from 100% Scottish barley, trickle distilled, then matured for its entire life by the shores of Lochindaal in premium American oak, it is a testament to the quality our ingredients. ...

Nothing lacking. Nothing to add. It is an absolute integration of time, high quality oak & Scottish barley.

Colour:

...

Master distiller Jim Mc Ewan, inspired by his native islands wild seas & storm-lashed coast, has designed Waves from a range of contrasting Bourbon & Madeira casks, & medium & light peating levels. Wave after wave of complex flavours are revealed
- cranberry, raisin, vanilla, peat-smoke
- creating a vibrant yet sweet dram, with just a hint of fresh ocean spray. Distilled, matured & bottled at Bruichladdich with ultra-pure Islay spring water filtered trough 1800 million year old rocks. Designed by Jim Mc Ewan from a range of contrasting Bourbon & Madeira casks, & medium peating levels.

...

Intense garnet in the glass. Very fruity aromas of blackberries, wild black cherries & plums mingle with subtle rose & violet characters, with hints of spice. Warm & elegant, the long lasting flavours finish with a hint of cocoa. ...

Garnet red in colour, this wine has rich aromas of blackberries, prunes & black cherries on the nose, with hints of violets, roses & spice. Rounded, warm & elegant on the palate, with rich fruit characters & a touch of dried flowers, long & powerful to the finish. ...

A deep garnet red, this wine opens with opulent aromas of dense black fruits, blackberry & plum, along with delicate floral perfumes of violet, rose & a touch of spice. The mouth-filling, warm structure of the palate is long & persistent, & as elegant as we have come to expect from this wine. ...