Description
Bruichladdich Port Charlotte PMC:01 2013
Port Charlotte PMC:01 2013 is the sixth release in Bruichladdich’s Cask Exploration series, built on heavily peated Port Charlotte spirit and finished in prestigious Pomerol red wine casks from Bordeaux’s right bank. Made from 100% Scottish Concerto barley peated to 40 ppm, the whisky was first matured for 4 years in first‑fill ex‑bourbon barrels, then re‑racked into Pomerol wine casks for a further 5 years, giving a total age of 9 years and bottled at 54.5% ABV, non‑chill filtered and naturally coloured.
Production & Style
Origin: Scotland, Islay.
Distillery: Bruichladdich (Port Charlotte is the heavily peated line, between unpeated Bruichladdich and super‑peated Octomore).
Barley & peat: Scottish Concerto barley, heavily peated to 40 ppm, delivering classic Port Charlotte coastal smoke.
Maturation: Distilled in 2013, initially aged 4 years in first‑fill ex‑bourbon casks, then transferred to ex‑Pomerol red wine casks for 5 more years, for a total of 9 years; this is the first Port Charlotte in the Cask Exploration series to mature in Pomerol casks.
Bottling: Released 2022/2023, non‑chill filtered, natural colour, bottled at 54.5% ABV.
Tasting Notes (combined from official and expert reviews)
Colour: Deep golden amber with a reddish hue from the wine casks.
Nose: Warm peat smoke and bonfire embers up front, followed by ripe dark berries (blackberries, blackcurrant), red fruit compote and cherries, layered with old leather, polished wood, dark chocolate, liquorice, vanilla cream and raisins. Pomerol influence brings a vinous, jammy red‑fruit tone and gentle tannins.
Palate: Thick, full‑bodied and oily, with a big alcohol weight. Initial notes of charcoal, grilled bacon, iodine and sea salt give way to blackberries, black cherries, red berry jam and stewed plums, drizzled with butter, golden syrup and dessert‑wine sweetness. Mid‑palate shows black pepper, cloves, herbs, oak spice, leather, pipe tobacco and hints of greenery, as peat smoke and red‑wine fruit interplay with robust oak.
Finish: Very long, with lingering smoke, caramelised sugars, tea‑like tannins, dried berries, charcoal, mineral notes and a savoury coastal saltiness, plus a firm red‑wine grip.
Reviews & Impressions
Whiskybase: about 87.9 / 100 from 90+ votes, often described as a powerful yet balanced combination of Port Charlotte’s smoky character and deep red‑wine fruit.
Whisky bloggers and Scotch enthusiasts on forums highlight PMC:01 as one of the most “big, sweet and smoky” entries in the Cask Exploration line, with great integration between peat, dark berries, leather and dessert‑like sweetness.
Water: Try neat first, then add a few drops of water to open up more red fruit, vanilla cream and floral tones, while softening the 54.5% ABV.
Special Info: Port Charlotte PMC:01 2013 is the first Port Charlotte matured in Pomerol casks and the sixth chapter in the Cask Exploration series, fusing Islay’s heavily peated coastal style with the opulent, dark‑berry and tannic character of Bordeaux right‑bank red wine. It is a compelling bottle for peat lovers who want to explore bolder wine‑cask experiments with serious complexity and collectability.
Origin: Scotland, Islay
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery: Bruichladdich (Port Charlotte)
Vintage & Age: Distilled 2013, bottled 2022/2023, 9 years old.
Maturation: 4 years first‑fill ex‑bourbon + 5 years ex‑Pomerol red wine casks (Cask Exploration Series)
Peat level: 40 ppm (heavily peated)
ABV: 54.5%
Volume: 700ml
