Port Charlotte explores Syrah cask whisky
Islay distillery Bruichladdich has aged a heavily peated Port Charlotte whisky in Syrah red wine casks.
Released as part of the brand's Cask Exploration series, Port Charlotte SYC:01 marks the first time the heavily peated single malt has been aged in organic and biodynamic Syrah wine casks from Rhône, France. Syrah is a red wine renowned for being bold and full-bodied, imparting flavours of rich red fruit notes and delicate spice to the final single malt whisky. Cask exploration and experimentation are said to have been an inherent part of Bruichladdich Distillery’s DNA since it was re-established in 2001. With two former wine merchants at the helm of the business, a plethora of casks have filled the distillery warehouses over the past two decades, with around 200 different wine varieties currently under the distillery’s guardianship on Islay. Adam Hannett, head distiller at Bruichladdich Distillery, said: “To have a wine cask inventory of this scale and variety is quite extraordinary. We scour the globe to find the best wines available, leading us to the highest-quality oak and unparalleled flavour. “With Port Charlotte SYC:01, the immense influence of the Syrah casks is clear to see. It’s a balancing act to ensure the oak and the peat smoke work in perfect harmony, and our versatile Port Charlotte spirit has worked amazingly well with the rich fruits and spice from the cask. The result is a multidimensional single malt whisky and something new and unique for Port Charlotte.” Bottled at 54.4% ABV and malted to 40ppm (phenol parts per million), the spirit was distilled in 2013 and initially filled into a combination of first-fill (75%) and second-fill (25%) Bourbon barrels. In 2018, the spirit was re-casked into first-fill Syrah wine casks for four years. The whisky was then re-casked into refill Bourbon to allow to marry. Hannett continued: “Our unique positioning on Islay has a profound effect on the flavour of our whiskies. Every single element, from the specific barley varietal used to the exact cask maturation profile and positioning in our warehouse, plays a part in the final flavour. “Port Charlotte is a single malt whisky about place. With SYC:01, a subtle salinity is an omniscient reminder of the spirit’s all-island maturation. To marry this Islay spirit with wine casks borne of a similar commitment to land and region elevates both the flavour and drinking experience.” Port Charlotte SYC:01 is the seventh release in the Port Charlotte Cask Exploration series. Previous releases from the brand include MRC:01 and PAC:01 aged in Pauillac casks, MC:01 matured in Marsala casks, OLC:01 in oloroso Sherry casks, SC:01 in Sauternes casks, and PMC:01 aged in Pomerol casks. Port Charlotte SYC:01 is now available to purchase from Bruichladdich’s website and at selected specialist whisky retailers with an RRP of £110 (US$144). Last month, the distillery revealed the 15 series of its extremely peated Octomore whisky, including the second most heavily peated single malt in the series to date. Also in September, parent company Rémy Cointreau hired Lee James as managing director for its UK, Ireland and Nordic operations. In its first quarter of 2024-2025 results, Rémy Cointreau saw sales drop by 15.6%.
