2021 Holiday Shopping Lists, the Single Malts: Port Charlotte Heavily Peated 10

Let’s keep up our stylistic jackknifing between balanced, nuanced, and friendly bottles on the one and hand, and Wagnerian, hyper-complex, ultra-dense hellraisers on the other. And it doesn’t get much more operatic than Port Charlotte.

If you’re shopping for a peated whisky fan this December, buy this. You don’t need to think about it further, it really is just that simple. Because from where I’m sitting, Port Charlotte 10 is the best Islay whisky I’ve ever had, and I’ve had some pretty stellar Islay pours in my time. Granted I’ve never gotten a shot at owning my own Octomore or Black Art, but then again, the guy who makes those two whiskies (Adam Hannett) calls Port Charlotte 10 his go-to bottle. Basically that’s the equivalent of Dionysus declaring what is his favorite wine — we should probably take his opinion seriously.

And if you do pay the $70 USD price of admission, what you get is a flavor profile so dense and concentrated, you could build a fallout shelter with these bottles. Every sip of this 100 proof smoke monster is like a Tunguska Event detonating in your mouth. A tsunami of a deep arboreal, tar-thick campfire smoke envelops you, before a choir of lemon zest, saltwater, charred honey, driftwood, and honeysuckle beckons you back from the depths. It’s capped off with a glacial finish that vies with the mountains for near-everlasting status. This whisky is a Chris Stapleton concert: it just keeps going and going with never a single drop off or lessening of intensity. I’ve had whiskies that try to immolate you with proof, but this one wants to break you with sheer volume of flavor alone.

So, while this bottle might lack the cachet of a Lagavulin or the online fandom of an Ardbeg, I kindly ask the intergalactic brain geniuses at Whiskey Advocate, “Yes, the Guinness Offerman Lagavulin 11 is a lovely bottle…but have you people even ever tried Port Charlotte 10?” If you or who you’re shopping for wants the highest of the Islay octanes, might I humbly offer Port Charlotte 10 for your consideration this holiday season.

Image courtesy of Jon who also writes on Low Class & High Proof.

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