Bruichladdich Port Charlotte Cask Exploration SYC:01 2013 700ml

Port Charlotte Cask Exploration SYC:01 2013 is a heavily peated Islay single malt Scotch whisky from the Bruichladdich distillery. Distilled in 2013 from barley malted to 40 PPM, it spent part of its 10 years in first-fill Syrah wine casks and is bottled at 54.4% ABV.

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Port Charlotte is Bruichladdich’s heavily peated range, and the Cask Exploration series takes that smoky spirit through different cask regimes to see what the wood can do. SYC:01 is the seventh release in the series and the first Port Charlotte matured in Syrah casks. The spirit was first filled into bourbon barrels, 75% first fill and 25% second fill. In 2018 it moved into first-fill Syrah casks from an organic and biodynamic wine producer in France’s northern Rhône. After around four years there, it went back into refill bourbon casks so the wine, oak and smoke could settle together before bottling. Head Distiller Adam Hannett describes it as a balancing act between oak and peat smoke.

The Syrah stage adds red fruit, spice and a deeper colour, so this is a fruitier, richer take on Port Charlotte than the standard 10 year old. It suits peat lovers who like wine cask whisky, and collectors following the Cask Exploration series.

Bruichladdich’s own tasting notes:

Nose: Fruit, peat smoke and caramel sweetness, then spice from the Syrah-seasoned oak.

Palate: Barbecue smoke and smoked oak, with candied peel, fresh mango and brown sugar.

Finish: Lingering smoke and sea air, rounded off with a little coconut and cocoa powder.

At 54.4% ABV, sip a small amount neat, then add water a few drops at a time to bring out the fruit. Use a tulip glass and skip the ice. It stands up to bold food: smoked lamb, chargrilled steak, venison or a hard aged cheese.