Port Charlotte Bottles Syrah Cask Finish Single Malt
Port Charlotte has unveiled the latest expression in its Cask Exploration series, now available in the U.S. market. Meant to showcase the influence that cask type has on the Islay single malt Scotch whisky, the heavily peated spirit spent time in Syrah casks from a winery in the northern Rhône, France.
Port Charlotte SYC:01 marks the first time this brand has matured in Syrah casks as part of the brand’s Cask Exploration series. A red wine known for being bold and full bodied, the Syrah cask maturation profile has imparted red fruit notes and layers of spice to the final single malt whisky, the company says, complementing Port Charlotte’s signature peat smoke.
Cask exploration and experimentation has been part of Bruichladdich Distillery’s DNA since the distillery was reestablished in 2001. With two former wine merchants at the helm, a number of casks have filled the distillery warehouses over the past two decades, with around 200 different wine varieties currently under the distillery’s guardianship on Islay.
“To have a wine cask inventory of this scale and variety is quite extraordinary,” says Adam Hannett, Bruichladdich Distillery head distiller. “We scour the globe to find the best wines available, and this in turn leads us to the highest quality oak and unparalleled flavor.”
“With Port Charlotte SYC:01, the immense influence of the Syrah casks is clear to see,” he adds. “It’s a balancing act to ensure the oak and the peat smoke work in perfect harmony, and our versatile Port Charlotte spirit has worked amazingly well with the rich fruits and spice from the cask. The result is a multidimensional single malt whisky and something new and unique for Port Charlotte.”
Bottled at 54.4% ABV and malted to 40 PPM, the 2013 Port Charlotte spirit was initially filled into a combination of first fill (75%) and second fill (25%) bourbon barrels. In 2018 the spirit was recasked into first fill Syrah wine casks. After four years, and with the wine influence now at its peak, the spirit was recasked into refill bourbon to allow the whisky to marry, the company says.
The Syrah casks for the latest release were sourced from a French producer specializing in the creation of organic and biodynamic wines.
In terms of tasting notes, fruits, peat smoke and caramel sweetness are immediate on the nose, the distillery reports, followed by spices from the Syrah-soaked oak. Barbeque peat smoke and smoked oak are on the palate, with candied peel, fresh mango and brown sugar. Smoke and Islay sea air linger on the finish, with a hint of coconut and cocoa powder bringing a rounded creaminess.
Port Charlotte SYC:01 is available to purchase now via bruichladdich.com or at whisky retailers. It has a suggested retail price of $149.99.
Port Charlotte SYC:01 is the seventh release in the Port Charlotte Cask Exploration series. Previous releases include: Port Charlotte MRC:01 (Pauillac cask maturation), MC:01 (Marsala cask maturation), OLC:01 (Oloroso cask maturation), PAC:01 (Pauillac cask maturation), SC:01 (Sauternes cask maturation) and PMC:01 (Pomerol cask maturation).
This follows the release of Port Charlotte 18 Year Old.
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