Bruichladdich distillery was revived in 2001 by Mark Reynier, Jim McEwan, and partners, and they quickly built a cult following, with many creatively marketed limited releases. Much of the Bruichladdich story is told in the documentary The Water of Life – A Whisky Film. Port Charlotte is the name of the heavily peated whisky produced at the distillery, alongside unpeated Bruichladdich and ultra-peated Octomore. The first release of Port Charlotte was the 5 year old “PC5 – Evolution”. In the subsequent years, the increasingly older PC6, PC7, PC8, PC9 and PC10 of 2001/2002 vintage were released yearly with 20-30’000 bottles per batch, each with a Gaelic name making some connection to Islay culture. The series essentially ended when Rémy Cointreau overtook the distillery in 2012, though a less accessible PC11 and PC12 (travel retail?) appeared later. NAS bottlings filled the gap until the core range “Port Charlotte 10” with its iconic black bottle released in 2018.
Today I have some samples from the evolving PCX series of Port Charlottes for an interesting horizontal tasting. How different can they be?
Port Charlotte • PC7 (61%), PC8 (60.5%), PC9 (59.2%) • 2001
Comparative tasting of three x 2cl samples
Nosing
As one might expect, they are not completely different experiences. Each has coastal vibe with seaweed (like nori), sea spray, tarry smoke, healthy doses of citrus and other yellow fruits, salted peanuts, and perhaps mushroom and soy.
PC7 is brighter than the other two, with more of freshly squeezed lemon and lime, and refreshing minerality like carbonated water.
PC8 turns somewhat more sweet, the citrus more towards grapefruit and orange, and it is breadier (banana bread and biscuits).
PC9 just takes a huge leap on the phenolics, being considerable more farmy, mushroomy, sulphurous, and rubbery.
Sipping
We shall dare to try neat before the water goes in. Heavy doses of rich peat, nectarines, lemons drops, pork scratchings, puffed rice, and an ashy aftertaste, especially for the PC7.
PC8 is richer and spicier, and more biscuity, like digestives.
PC9 is even more rich, sweet, and savoury, funky/dirty, with more cold cuts and cheese.
Comments
Actually, I like all three a lot. I feel the difference can’t be just the age, but the casks as well. I do believe some sherry casks must have used especially in the vattings for PC9. PC7 is younger a brighter, which works great. PC8 adds a bit more depth, that makes it in some ways a more complete experience. PC9 just really hammers on with the dirtiness, which is really fun but not for the faint hearted. I’ll let all three share a very positive overall score:
Overall
DuckDrams 
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