Port Charlotte 15 Years Old Spirit of Islay Private Bottling Cask 1161 60.2% 2002

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Serge Valentin (91)

I think the good people behind this bottle know a thing or two about Islay and its whiskies, as I could observe for myself in the past.…

Colour: gold. I mean, serious gold.

Nose: I don’t know if the word ‘immaculate’ means much in the case of a sherry hogshead, but I would still use it. Lemon curd, custard, seawater, and this thing you should absolutely taste one day, Corsican citron liqueur. And then, a wide range of tinier aromas, cigarettes, quinces, wulong, Grisons meat, cigars, the obligatory old walnuts, dried apricots… Between us, I find this rather stunning. With water: it’s not that it changes much, it just gets a tad easier. Well done.

Mouth (neat): exceptionally well balanced, which doesn’t happen very often with peat plus sherry. Of course we all know legendary hyper-sherried peaters, old Laphroaigs and such, but I wouldn’t say those are or were the norm. Anyway, this works a treat, with more walnuts, oranges, tobacco, and this luminous almost lemony smokiness that everyone loves. Light toffee too. With water: hurray! Splendid saltiness – you would almost believe someone added real salt – plus tobacco, dried fruits such as quinces and apricots, figs, a wee drop of Worcester sauce… Well all is well (oh, S.!)

Finish: long, salty, with just a little more bitterness. Or even more tobacco and walnuts if you like.

Comments: bang, serious stuff here! You could have called the anti-maltoporn brigade, they’re getting a bit rusty these days.