Bruichladdich ‘PC-5’, 63.5%

This is a five year old expression of the more highly peated Bruichladdich whisky being referred to as Port Charlotte (named after the now-silent distillery down the road from Bruichladdich). More highly peated indeed. If you like your smoky Islay whiskies young and masculine, this one is for you. It’s like sticking your head in a peat-fired kiln. But there’s more to this whisky than massive smoke. There are underlying notes of kippers, soot, and tar. With further investigation, there are spice notes of black pepper and black licorice stick. What really makes this whisky multi-dimensional and balanced is its sweet underbelly of thick toffee, jammy fruit, and almond butter. Youthful, but not immature.