Port Charlotte Scottish Barley Whisky – it’s pretty much a health food drink

Jun 18, 2014

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Port Charlotte Scottish Barley Single Malt: An Organic Whisky

Port Charlotte Scottish Barley

Port Charlotte Scottish Barley is the perfect example of a whisky that rejects the trend of industrialisation and self interest and instead strives to return to the very roots of whisky farming.

‘Whisky farming’ is a term we have coined to describe a truly organic approach to the distillation process. I’m talking fresh produce, home-grown, locally made whisky. It’s an approach that pays homage to the land and the raw ingredients that characterise it. With the population at large turning to greener pastures for food options, its only natural that whisky is to follow suit.

Port Charlotte Scottish Barley is a non-chill filtered, single-malt scotch barley whisky with a heavy peat and smoky taste that characterize it as truly organic. And it’s even gluten free.

Triple distilled from 100% Scottish Barley, the whisky matures in the lochside village of Port Charlotte before being bottled at the distillery using Islay spring water. At 40ppm Port Charlotte Scottish Barley matches the once blue ribbon winner of peated whiskies Ardbeg; Before Bruichladdich’s Octomore stole the title with a whopping 167ppm. Port Charlotte Scottish Barley is homegrown from the very same peat fields as Octomore, maintained by farmer and local hero James brown. (Because who isn’t on first name basis with their farmer?)

Bruichladdich are also the major distiller of organic barley in Scotland and have been instrumental in supporting organic farming in the single malt category.

So with these credentials in mind I’m going to go ahead and say that Port Charlotte Scottish Barley is pretty much a health food drink.

The swirling smokiness of the heavy peat of Port Charlotte Scottish Barley hits the nose, even pouring at arms length. It is a battle of cinnamon and pepper that calls back to its long stint in the Octomore fields; combining with a scent that is rich in vegetation and what I like to call nutrients. However Port Charlotte Scottish Barley’s palette is a well-rounded spiced vanilla, with almost a lemon sherbet finish that tames the front notes. There may be no hiding the heavy weighted 50% ABV, but the kick is nicely rounded with a family of spices to match your mothers kitchen pantry.

Enjoy Port Charlotte Scottish Barley ranch side at your private farm (or more realistically, street side in your terrace house) in true organic mindfulness: either neat for the tougher cowboys among us, over ice, or with a dash of water to open up Port Charlotte Scottish Barley’s density of character.

A Hoyo de Monterrey Double Corona is our cigar suggestion to match. A man’s man cigar, the corona is BIG. Notes of roasted wood and hickory are followed by a slight liquor-like sweetness. It’s a big cigar with smoke enough to rival the whisky.

Purchase Port Charlotte Scottish Barley for $95.99 (Dan Murphy’s). Better yet, start your discovery at Sydney’s Whisky Live where Port Charlotte will be on show for all to lasso on the June 20^th and 21st at Moore Park. Also check out the cocktail suggestion below for a truly organic approach to a farmed whisky that celebrates its raw ingredients.

The citrus will cut through the heavy body of the Port Charlotte Scottish Barley and tame the beast, resulting in the smokiest sour you ever did taste. A little Drambuie pays homage to Port Charlotte’s Scottish roots for a heritage conscious cocktail.

So spark up, cheers to a good harvest and don’t forget to savour the moment.

Port Charlotte Sour

50ml Port Charlotte

15ml Egg white

30ml lemon juice

10ml drambuie

10ml sugar syrup

Method:

Add all ingredients to shaker and dry shake. Add ice and repeat. Strain over ice into whisky glass and garnish with maraschino cherry.

Written By Michelle Reed