Think you don’t like smoky scotch? Give Port Charlotte 18 a try and reconsider

Perhaps you’re one of those people who thinks all scotch whisky is smoky (it’s not, only a very small percentage is actually peated). Or maybe you’re a whisky drinker who thinks you don’t like smoky whisky at all—that’s a fair point, some of it is really intense and can be hard to swallow (literally). If you fall into either of the above categories, I still suggest you give the new Port Charlotte 18 from Bruichladdich a try, because it’s a heavily peated whisky with a layered complexity that just might turn you into a believer.

Port Charlotte is the smoke show label from Islay’s Bruichladdich distillery. True, the team there makes even smokier whisky as part of its annual Octomore series, some of which qualifies as the most heavily peated whisky ever released, as measured in parts per million (PPM). But Port Charlotte is still up there at 40 PPM (kind of an abstract number, but trust me, it’s very smoky). The core expression is a 10-year-old single malt made from Scottish barley that is aged in the following types of casks: 65 per cent first fill American whiskey, 10 per cent second fill American whiskey, and 25 per cent second fill French wine casks, to give it some spice and fruit notes.

The 18-year-old version first came out in 2024, making this the third limited-edition release of this whisky, which now stands as the oldest in the Port Charlotte lineup. But it’s not just the same liquid as the 10-year-old aged for eight additional years. Port Charlotte 18 was matured in a different, and pretty intricate, combination of barrels—first fill bourbon (40 per cent), second fill sherry (15 per cent), and ex-virgin oak (15 per cent). Some of the whisky matured in sherry casks was then put into first fill French red wine casks for five years, and then finished in second fill bourbon for two years (20 per cent). The final component was matured in refill sherry and wine casks (10 per cent), and then all of the whiskies were married together before being bottled at 52.3 per cent ABV (no colour added, no chill filtration).

The result, as I mentioned at the start, is a very complex single malt with layers of flavor that are able to shine through despite the intense smokiness. The color is a deep copper-orange, and the nose is full of aromas of fruit, iodine, and smoke. As you sip, you’ll notice balanced notes of sweet and savory, with intermingling flavors of butterscotch, dried apricot, cherry, charred oak, barbecue sauce, grape jelly, and lemon citrus. There is very little burn despite the higher ABV, and the finish lingers long after your last sip.

Overall, this is a really satisfying peated single malt, and one that might just convert the naysayers… although, let’s be honest, people tend to be pretty entrenched in their whisky opinions. Still, I highly recommend giving this bottle a try, whether you crave the tantalising tendrils of smoke that envelop you as you drink an Islay scotch, or are at least willing to give something you think you might not enjoy a shot.

This story was first published on Robb Report USA. Featured photo by Bruichladdich