Bruichladdich Distillery released the new Port Charlotte this month, transforming the often overlooked heavily peated single malt into a one that’s redefining the Islay whisky category.

Bruichladdich Distillery is the second smallest distillery on Scotland’s island of Islay, but the whisky it produces makes a huge statement. (The most heavily peated whisky in the world is Bruichladdich’s Octomore expression.) And now they are moving beyond making a statement with just its spirits; Bruichladdich is making a statement with every step of the whisky-making process.

“Islay is not what you think it is,” Bruichladdich CEO Douglas Taylor explained. “There is limited connection between the spirit and the land.” So they redesigned their Port Charlotte to change that. “This is our protest against the Islay machine,” he said.

Let me explain. But first, let me back up a bit.

The New Bruichladdich Port Charlotte is Redefining Islay Whisky

Bruichladdich invited me to have lunch with their CEO, Douglas Taylor, and taste the new Port Charlotte. We talked about the distillery, its dedication to Islay, and the new Port Charlotte whisky. Excerpts from our conversation float throughout this article.

Small But Mighty

Bruichladdich Distillery (pronounced bruukh-LAD-ee) is a small distillery on the island of Islay (pronounced EYE-lah) in Scotland that makes outstanding whisky and gin. They have three core whisky brands: unpeated (called Bruichladdich), heavily peated (Port Charlotte), and super heavily peated (Octomore). Plus special releases and gin (The Botanist).

Even though they’re the second smallest distillery on Islay, Bruichladdich is the largest private employer. And that’s on purpose. They want people on Islay to live and work without leaving there, which most people had to do only a generation ago. Now Islay’s young people can work at Bruichladdich and have an international career. Douglas said having locals on staff is “an incredible privilege” for the distillery.

The distillery’s dedication to its location goes beyond the people, becoming nearly an obsession. (And that kind of obsession, in my book, is a good thing!)

Revealing What’s Behind the Curtain

Bruichladdich’s philosophy is authenticity, place and provenance, and traceability. But most importantly, their focus is making a good quality spirit even if that means doing things the hard way. Their dedication to transparency at every stage of the whisky-making process makes them upfront about everything from the barley sources to the casks. You can actually trace where the barley for the Bruichladdich range is grown — right down to the exact farm — by using a code found on each canister. Why be transparent? Douglas said “because it’s the right thing to do.”

With the Port Charlotte, they wanted to be as upfront as possible — and as Islay as possible. So almost every part about it is Islay.

Islay is More Than a Buzzword

For whisky to be labeled Islay there is only one legal requirement: that it’s distilled on the island. So malt grown anywhere, distilled on Islay for a few hours, then bottled and aged somewhere else can be “Islay whisky.” And because Islay whiskies are profitable, distilleries are doing just that. And that was turning Islay into more of a flavor profile than a place.

Bruichladdich thought only distilling on Islay wasn’t enough. They wanted a product that was entirely Islay — and a spirit to tell the Bruichladdich story. So they redesigned their heavily peated whisky. Now the Port Charlotte “lives and breathes the place,” Douglas said.

The New Bruichladdich Port Charlotte 10

The Port Charlotte is a true Islay whisky. Distilled on Islay, matured on Islay, and bottled on Islay. (Soon it will malted there too.) Made with 100% Scottish barley from the Invernesshire region, then aged in American whiskey casks and French wine casks.

The new Port Charlotte 10 is Bruichladdich’s first age statement expression. Why put a number on the bottle when so many distilleries are removing their age statements? It goes back to their focus on transparency. Why 10 years? It’s the sweet spot for this whisky.

The new bottle — dark green glass with a bold label — is to distinguish it from the unpeated Bruichladdich whisky bottles that were the same shape. “The green glass is designed to reference the spirit,” explained Douglas. Since Islay is synonymous with green glass, it’s a nod to Islay whisky.

The Port Charlotte 10 has all the DNA of Islay: heavily peated, yet totally approachable. The official tasting notes describe it as:

On the palate there is a noticeable delicacy and softness in texture and style. Again, the balance of flavor is superb as the smoke wraps loosely around the sweetness drawn from deep within the oak. Coconut, vanilla custard, lemon honey combines with smoked oysters and sun baked salty sand.

The New Port Charlotte Islay Barley & MRC:01

Bruichladdich also redesigned two other expressions in the Port Charlotte range: Islay Barley and MRC:01. Both have the sexy new green glass bottle and contrasting label.

The Port Charlotte Islay Barley 2011 is made from barley from three Islay farms and distilled in 2011. (Bruichladdich is one of only two Islay distilleries using locally grown barley.) Aged in first fill American oak casks and second fill red wine casks, the Islay Barley 2011 has tastes of dry smoke, salted caramel, and apple sauce. Douglas described it as “sophisticated; bright, zesty, with typical Bruichladdich DNA.”

The MRC:01 expression leans away from the use of ex-bourbon casks. Only 50% is aged in first fill American whiskey casks while 50% is second fill French wine casks. Then the spirit aged in MR casks from Bordeaux for a year. The result is a vibrant, complex dram described as “coconut, honey, vanilla, dry smoke and leather.”

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Douglas said the new Bruichladdich Port Charlotte intends to “bring the real sense of Islay back to whisky.” I haven’t been to Islay yet so I can’t say for certain if the Port Charlotte feels like Islay to me. But I can agree that it’s elegant and approachable, and a little enchanting. It leaves me dreaming of Scotland in all its green beauty and the way the sea is never far off. And for me, that’s more than enough.

Also, the Port Charlotte is damn delicious and I can’t wait to get my hands on my own bottle!

Thank you to Douglas Taylor and Bruichladdich for the incredible opportunity to talk with you and try these excellent whiskies. (Also, thanks for lunch at The Franklin Room!) And a special thanks to Cherish for your support and general awesomeness. :)