Time flies, and today we’re actually tasting a Port Charlotte aged15 years! I remember the ones released at 5 and 6 years of age – they were stunning. With time the PC has evolved , and we’ve seen many different casks and different styles. This bottling is quite different and special in two ways : First it’s a private bottling (but those are not so rare, and I’ve tasted some in the past), the REAL anecdote here is this is the only PC that was recasked into a different cask per the choice of its owner Kjell Öberg..
Kjell tells the story:
“This whisky were lying in a very very tired refill bourbon hogshead and when I visited Jim at the distillery in september 2007 he proposed that I as the only person ever got the chance to recask into a new cask free of choise.
I started nosing casks, out whith the bung and in with my nose and after two hours i had come down to two casks that was smelling wonderful, a fresh sherry hogshead and this fresh Haut-Brion, yes and I chose the latter.
It become a slightly winey and spicy ( peppery ) almost little Port Charlotte goes Taliskerish”
Kjell was kind enough to send me a sample, and wanted to me to evaluate the liquid, which I did. (Many thanks!
Port Charlotte 2002 – Double Wood , 15 yo , Refill Bourbon + Fresh Haut-Brion Hogshead , 59.4 %
Score: 90/100