Today we dive into the new limited edition Port Charlotte 18 year. This heavily peated expression is a blend of 74% refill sherry and 26% refill French Oak Wine. Presented at 54.3% this is a big bad islay, with a good age statement!
stop talking about comparison videos, we have all been waiting for your Hazelburn 15 and 12 comparison and it never happened. (excuse the fake angry tone, I just thought it could have an impact on your future video scheduling :))
I quite like the PC 18, and you are right it is different that the 10; maybe closer to PMC:01 A comparison with the Octomore 14.2/ PMC:01/ PC18 would be one I would like to see.
u always have the best vids on great malts … for me, Laddie peated bottles always have this baby-puke / wine-y sourish nose, but very entertaining sweet peat from Moon, 3D3, "Peat", Noris Campbell, (early 2000-2010)… to AN Turas Mohr, and this 18 Laddie.
Looks like they were expecting that at this price point this one will not sell well. Only PC fun boys and ppl who pay Diageo prices to get something special mostly buy this 18yo. For me this Wine Finish Series Continues but at double age and double price. Definitely its another experience worth trying. Opinions at Whiskybase are divided, individual preferences matters. Someone wrote that this is average PC and average score of 88/100 seems like confirmed that. Its still available even at flippers prices slighty higher. Thanks for another nice deep and honest review. Slàinte 🤠🥂🥂🥂🙋🏻♂️
My favorite bottle of the year so far. US retail is(was) between $199 and $225. Most of the bodegas and domains that Bruichladdich source their wine casks from don't allow their name or styles to be disclosed, even on the website.
This sounds like a great one. The cask selection is very different from the Bruichladdich 18, which is good, so they are both a unique experience. Ben at the Whisky Geek channel talked to people at the distillery who said that their barley is malted and peated at a maltings in the highlands as opposed to most of the other Islay distilleries that use Port Ellen so I think that has a lot to do with why the peat character is so unique compared to other Islay distilleries. Cheers
Nice review guys. Sounds like a nice dram. I'll probably pass on getting this one though for its current price. Dustin, as far as the expressions less than 10 yrs age–you should look into the Ardbeg 8 if you haven't already. I say this due to the much better mouth feel the A8 has than most of the 10s out there. I'n gleaning this from your Laphroaig 25 2018 review–that you appreciate an oily mouthfeel. Well, the A8 delivers that better than all the other in the young age statements IMO. My guess is that you'd like the A8 one or two notch score more than the Ardbeg 10 and PC 10. Pour off 1/2 the A8 bottle into samples and then let the remaining 1/2 bottle sit for at least 6 months before formulating a score. Then you can compare the "aired out" pour to the neck pour from the sample bottles. 90pts is the best score in the bottle I get with the A8 (usually after lots of air for a long time it gets best). Worth getting . . . . . . Ardbeg 8 and Laga 8 IMO are the best of the "less than age 10" expressions (and both IMO are a generally at least a notch better than most of the age 10 batches out there). I like best the 2016 bottling of the Laga 8 (89-90pts at its best), but the 2018 and 2020 are still both very good too (88-89pts).
For once a video that doesn’t give me blue balls. I wish I could tell you the story about how I got one bottle of this. Pretty much it was a cannonball run to get it in the rain.
I would say compare it to the OLC 2010 you gave that a 90. I found PC 18 for 199 glad I bought it. I also found a OLC but it’s going for 150 might get it, I never tried that one but have been digging pc and bruchladdie as of late. Cheers
If you young lads like that, you’re gonna love the Whisky Sponge 20yo Port Charlotte. Like this but complexity is on another level. A modern classic. 👌🏻
Bruichladdich 18 has made it to NC (a control state that never gets higher end scotch). You should be able to find one. If not let me know…my sister lives in Cincinnati and I can get one up to her over the next few weeks. I got my PC18 from California. Like you I was willing to wait for, based on the bottle I’m calling it Laddie 18, but jumped on the PC. Looking forward to both!
29 Comments
Per a request
stop talking about comparison videos, we have all been waiting for your Hazelburn 15 and 12 comparison and it never happened. (excuse the fake angry tone, I just thought it could have an impact on your future video scheduling :))
I quite like the PC 18, and you are right it is different that the 10; maybe closer to PMC:01 A comparison with the Octomore 14.2/ PMC:01/ PC18 would be one I would like to see.
Was waiting for this one! Thanks guys!
A future H2H sounds like a great idea.
Hey guys, hope all is well….. here's a comparison bottle for later. Bowmore 1989, 23yr port cask, NCF, @50.8% Thoughts?
u always have the best vids on great malts … for me, Laddie peated bottles always have this baby-puke / wine-y sourish nose, but very entertaining sweet peat from Moon, 3D3, "Peat", Noris Campbell, (early 2000-2010)… to AN Turas Mohr, and this 18 Laddie.
Looks like they were expecting that at this price point this one will not sell well. Only PC fun boys and ppl who pay Diageo prices to get something special mostly buy this 18yo. For me this Wine Finish Series Continues but at double age and double price. Definitely its another experience worth trying. Opinions at Whiskybase are divided, individual preferences matters. Someone wrote that this is average PC and average score of 88/100 seems like confirmed that. Its still available even at flippers prices slighty higher. Thanks for another nice deep and honest review. Slàinte 🤠🥂🥂🥂🙋🏻♂️
You guys are the best in the business for peated whisky reviews.
Hey Mike, great review again…. Hope all is going well with you
Awesome review. Vs a Longrow 18?
This for me is what Benromach 15 could be with a higher abv. Great review and agree on the tastiness of this one. Cheers gents!
Great review. I’m right there with you guys on this one. It was a pleasant surprise!
If you can. Compare it to the MC01 2009. That one was particularly special. Can't wait to try this one.
My favorite bottle of the year so far. US retail is(was) between $199 and $225. Most of the bodegas and domains that Bruichladdich source their wine casks from don't allow their name or styles to be disclosed, even on the website.
Thanks for the review – glad i was able to get this one…over here in California – it went quick!
Fabulous review guys! I agree and this is a delicious beauty!! Cheers! 🙂
Given the number of bottles released I was thrilled to find one and my husband got one! We scrambled!!
This sounds like a great one. The cask selection is very different from the Bruichladdich 18, which is good, so they are both a unique experience. Ben at the Whisky Geek channel talked to people at the distillery who said that their barley is malted and peated at a maltings in the highlands as opposed to most of the other Islay distilleries that use Port Ellen so I think that has a lot to do with why the peat character is so unique compared to other Islay distilleries. Cheers
If you have someone in or traveling to California who can get you one, K&L Wine has the Bruichladdich 18 in a 750ml bottle for $190.
A good comparison would be to OLC:01 which is one of their best expressions!
@topshelfdustin if you could buy 1 PC special edition which one would it be. I have rhe MC. Cheers
how bout against ledaig 18?
Nice review guys. Sounds like a nice dram. I'll probably pass on getting this one though for its current price. Dustin, as far as the expressions less than 10 yrs age–you should look into the Ardbeg 8 if you haven't already. I say this due to the much better mouth feel the A8 has than most of the 10s out there. I'n gleaning this from your Laphroaig 25 2018 review–that you appreciate an oily mouthfeel. Well, the A8 delivers that better than all the other in the young age statements IMO. My guess is that you'd like the A8 one or two notch score more than the Ardbeg 10 and PC 10. Pour off 1/2 the A8 bottle into samples and then let the remaining 1/2 bottle sit for at least 6 months before formulating a score. Then you can compare the "aired out" pour to the neck pour from the sample bottles. 90pts is the best score in the bottle I get with the A8 (usually after lots of air for a long time it gets best). Worth getting . . . . . . Ardbeg 8 and Laga 8 IMO are the best of the "less than age 10" expressions (and both IMO are a generally at least a notch better than most of the age 10 batches out there). I like best the 2016 bottling of the Laga 8 (89-90pts at its best), but the 2018 and 2020 are still both very good too (88-89pts).
For once a video that doesn’t give me blue balls. I wish I could tell you the story about how I got one bottle of this. Pretty much it was a cannonball run to get it in the rain.
I would say compare it to the OLC 2010 you gave that a 90. I found PC 18 for 199 glad I bought it. I also found a OLC but it’s going for 150 might get it, I never tried that one but have been digging pc and bruchladdie as of late. Cheers
If you young lads like that, you’re gonna love the Whisky Sponge 20yo Port Charlotte. Like this but complexity is on another level. A modern classic. 👌🏻
Bruichladdich 18 has made it to NC (a control state that never gets higher end scotch). You should be able to find one. If not let me know…my sister lives in Cincinnati and I can get one up to her over the next few weeks.
I got my PC18 from California. Like you I was willing to wait for, based on the bottle I’m calling it Laddie 18, but jumped on the PC. Looking forward to both!
Excellent review my friends.