The heavily peated single malt has been distilled using barley exclusively from its island home

Port Charlotte has launched Port Charlotte Islay Barley 2014, the latest vintage in its island provenance series.

Conceived, distilled, matured and bottled on Islay, this single malt uses barley exclusively grown on the island from eight separate farms. Located within 15 miles of the distillery, each local farmer undertook the risk of growing in challenging conditions to deliver the barley used for the 2014 vintage, resulting in a Port Charlotte single malt with total traceability and unparalleled provenance.

“Our Port Charlotte Islay Barley expressions encapsulate everything an Islay whisky can and should be, and the latest 2014 vintage is no different,” said Head Distiller, Adam Hannett. “However, growing on Islay is no mean feat. Our location on Scotland’s rugged west coast and unpredictable weather, coupled with grazing wild geese and deer, means a successful harvest is never a given. But it’s a risk worth taking.

“As well as adding complexity to the character of this single malt, using Islay grown barley goes beyond just the pursuit of flavour. This is a whisky which evokes a true sense of place, helps support Islay’s agricultural economy and celebrates our island community.”

From just one farmer in 2004, Bruichladdich Distillery now works with a total of 20 farming partners on Islay - with over 50% of the distillery’s barley grown on the remote Hebridean island. These farming partnerships not only help to develop new soil-improving practices and encourage crop diversification but support the integral agricultural community. 

With a quiet complexity, Port Charlotte Islay Barley 2014 showcases the delicate balance of fruit and smoke which the single malt is renowned for. Bottled at 50% ABV and peated to 40 PPM, the maturation profile consists of 84% in first fill bourbon casks, 8% in second fill Virgin oak and 8% in second fill Bordeaux wine casks.

Malty digestive biscuits and peat embers open on the nose, followed by sweet vanilla and notes of honey, toffee and Crème Brulee. On the palate, an initial citrus tang is counterbalanced with gentle peat smoke, moving into a medley of apricot, peach and ripe melon. With notes of stoned fruit and toasted oak, the finish is beautifully balanced with a lingering hint of Port Charlotte’s signature barbeque smoke.

Port Charlotte Islay Barley 2014 is priced at £75.00 and available to purchase now via bruichladdich.com or at selected specialist whisky retailers. 

About Bruichladdich Distillery

Bruichladdich Distillery is situated on the southwestern tip of the Hebridean island of Islay. 

Bruichladdich Distillery crafts four different spirits:

• Bruichladdich, unpeated Islay single malt Scotch whisky

• Port Charlotte, heavily peated Islay single malt Scotch whisky (40PPM)

• Octomore, the world’s most heavily peated Scotch whisky series (80+PPM)

• The Botanist Gin, the first Islay dry gin  

The distillery was first established in 1881 by the Harvey brothers. It survived through periods of closure including world wars and economic uncertainly, only to be closed for 7 years in 1994. The closure left all but two redundant. 

The distillery was reopened by Mark Reynier, Simon Coughlin and Jim McEwan in 2001. The team have breathed new life into the community by keeping as much of their operations on Islay as possible. They installed a bottling hall in 2003, first grew Islay barley in 2004 (now 45% of annual production in 2020) and have since added additional warehousing to ensure all single malts are conceived, distilled, matured and bottled on the island. They are one of only two distilleries on the island (9 total) to make those claims. 

The independently owned Bruichladdich was purchased by luxury spirits company Remy Cointreau in 2012. They continue to invest in the values of the business, in being Islay-based, and in the local community.  

In 2020, Bruichladdich became one of the only distilleries in the world to be B Corp certified. They are the first gin and whisky distillery in Europe, and one of three globally, to be recognised for balancing profit and purpose. 

 Provided by Bruichladdich Distillery