A decade ago the west side of Islay, with its big, colorful, and/or brand-new peaty single malt Scotch whisky, was all the rage. Nowadays they've been pretty quiet compared to the folks on the more easterly side of things. Time to check in and see what they've been up to.
This, then, is a comparative review with the entry-level, no-age-statement Kilchoman (lately Islay's newest distillery, now out-newed by Ardnahoe) up against the entry-level, yes-age-statement Port Charlotte (from Bruichladdich - it's the variant that gets less attention than Octomore). Both of them - in and around Chicago, at least - are still sitting at the affordable price of sixty bucks. Here are the stats:
- Kilchoman Machir Bay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (OB, NAS, batch MBA 26.06.17 17/54; unchillfiltered, natural color; 46% ABV), 84/100
- Port Charlotte Heavily Peated 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky (OB, 2007-2018; unchillfiltered, natural color; 50% ABV), 89/100
Neither one of these is really a peat monster, except maybe in the sense that Grover is technically a monster. But they're lovely whiskies all the same, with the PC10 in particular providing a high-quality, more cerebral alternative to the Ardbeg 10, Laphroaig Cask Strength, and Lagavulin 8.
27 авг 2024
