Bruichladdich Pays Homage To Inaugural Whiskies For Rock'ndaal With Port Charlotte PC5 Redux & Octomore OBA Redux

Islay’s Bruichladdich Distillery has launched two festival-exclusive expressions for Féis Ìle: The Port Charlotte PC5 Redux and Octomore OBA Redux.

The expressions are slated to be unveiled during Rock’ndaal (Bruichladdich’s annual festival day) on May 24. 

The two expressions are intended to reprise the first expression made after it resumed production, as well as the first in it's famed heavily-peated Octomore line.

The Port Charlotte PC5 Redux pays homage to the first Port Charlotte, the first liquid to run off the distillery's stills on May 29 in 2001 after the distillery was bought out of mothballs. The original PC5 was the distillery's first sold whisky after five years of aging.

The release defined Port Charlotte’s signature sweet barbecue smoke profile and quickly became one of its most revered releases. Master blender Adam Hannett said it would be "vibrant, smoky and alive with bright citrus" and where "American oak supports the spirit rather than dominating it, allowing the purity of the barley and the influence of Islay’s unique locale to shine through".

Bottled at 63.5% ABV, the Port Charlotte PC5 Redux now reimagines the original, with a release limited to 2,500 bottles and boasting an MSRP of £75 (US$100) each.

On the other hand, the Octomore OBA Redux is more of an experimental whisky that resurrects the OBA concept and pays homage to the Octomore line a decade after its initial debut. It is said to marry the ‘clandestine nature’ of Bruichladdich’s Black Art series with the notoriously high peat smoke of Octomore.

Bottled at 54.2%, the expression is said to have a palate of persistent peat smoke, tropical fruits and roasted marzipan. Hannett said that it was a "beautifully fragrant and fruit-forward Octomore" and that “Floral elegance and tropical sweetness meet smoke and tempered oak. It is a spirit of immense power, yet possesses a silken, architectural refinement."

Unlike other Octomores, this expression's phenol parts per million (PPM) is not stated.

With just 2,500 bottles available, Octomore OBA has an MSRP of £325 (US$435).

Both expressions will be available to purchase online via bruichladdich.com and in person at Bruichladdich Distillery from 2 May. The Rock’ndaal tickets this year have sold out, but the distillery will be live-streaming the event.

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team