51,3°
Distillery : Bruichladich - Islay
Oloroso Sherry Octave Cask Finish
Independent Bottling
By Master of Malt
Limited Edition
Single Cask
Bottled in 2023
Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength
Peated around 40 ppm
As well as being an excellent online retailer, Master of Malt is a reputable independent bottler, and has been since 1985. They were bought out by Atom Brands, but their Darkness range is still representative of their work. Here, this Port Charlotte is finished in an Octave cask of Oloroso Sherry. These are casks of around 60 litres, to intensify the interaction with the wood. Only 111 bottles are advertised by La Maison du Whisky, which has exclusivity for this bottle, but there are obviously a few more, as the one I picked from was numbered 115.
Let's Taste It :
This is a fine Oloroso cask, a variety of dried fruits, apple compote with chunks, a cinnamon leaf, damp leather, varnished wood, drained oil, chocolaty liquorice, with a hint of astringency and thick peat full of soot, black earth and gas oil. On the palate, it's round, greedy, nougat, soft toffee, genoise, marzipan, chewy smoke, deep spices, black pepper and nutmeg. The finish is long, fruity, oily, with a few bits of smoked ham. Biscuits filled with sesame cream, red fruit concentrate, chocolate fondant, a coffee bean.
In Short,
It has just about everything you'd expect. The Port Charlotte distillate is a decidedly good match for the Sherry. The downside is that it's not particularly surprising, but sometimes it's better to get exactly what you want. The price, on the other hand, is excessive, especially for 50cl bottles.
Score : 89
To Be Listened While Sipping :
The Jesus and Mary Chain - Cracking Up
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