Port Charlotte

Port Charlotte is a modern yet deeply traditional Scottish single malt whisky from the island of Islay, produced by the Bruichladdich Distillery. Its aim is to show that a heavily peated whisky need not be all about smoky harshness, but can also have elegance, depth and terroir.

Originally, there was a separate Port Charlotte Distillery, founded in 1829 in the village of Port Charlotte on Islay. However, it only operated until 1929, when it was closed. Its spirit was revived in 2001, when the Bruichladdich Distillery team – after its reopening and radical modernisation – decided to create a peaty whisky that would build on the legacy of Port Charlotte.

The first Port Charlotte bottlings appeared in 2006, and the brand has since established itself as a mainstay of the Bruichladdich portfolio alongside the smooth Bruichladdich and the extremely peaty Octomore.

Port Charlotte is produced at the Bruichladdich Distillery, but from a technological and philosophical point of view, it is a separate brand.

Port Charlotte is heavily peated – approximately 40 ppm (phenol units), which places it in the category of smoky whiskies, but not as extreme as Octomore. It uses exclusively Scottish barley, with Bruichladdich emphasising origin and terroir – most of the grain comes directly from Scotland and some even directly from Islay. The whisky is matured mainly in American oak bourbon casks, but often also in sherry, wine or other fortified wine casks, which add complexity.

Unchillfiltered and natural colour: in keeping with the Bruichladdich philosophy, Port Charlotte is bottled without modification to preserve its authenticity.

Portfolio:
Port Charlotte 10 Year Old – the brand's flagship, peaty but balanced, with a harmonious combination of smoke and fruit.
Port Charlotte Islay Barley – made exclusively from barley grown on the island of Islay, with an emphasis on terroir and authenticity.
Port Charlotte MRC, OLC, PMC editions – limited editions that mature in casks previously used for specific wines (e.g. Bordeaux, Oloroso, Cognac), giving the whisky a distinctive character.
Port Charlotte Heavily Peated – various special editions and single cask bottlings that emphasise the experimental side of the brand.

Bruichladdich Distillery profiles itself as ‘progressive Hebridean distillers’ – pioneers of transparency, terroir and environmental sustainability. Port Charlotte is proof that peated whisky can be both modern and respectful of tradition. The village of Port Charlotte, after which the whisky is named, is only a few kilometres from Bruichladdich and has retained its authentic character as a fishing village. Port Charlotte stands right in the middle of the Bruichladdich portfolio: it is more peaty than the classic Bruichladdich, but milder than the experimental Octomore.

Port Charlotte is a whisky that embodies the island of Islay in its purest form – smoke, sea, wind and tradition. At the same time, it proves that peat does not have to be extreme, but can also be a sophisticated part of a complex taste experience. For Islay fans, it is a must-try, combining robustness with elegance and tradition with a modern take on whisky.