Port Charlotte has announced the release of the Port Charlotte 18 Years Old, the oldest expression released by the brand since it was reopened in 2001.

Owned by and distilled at Bruichladdich Distillery, the brand is named after the Islay village of Port Charlotte, and all single malts with the Port Charlotte name are distilled and bottled exclusively on Islay.

For the 18-year-old bottling, the whisky was aged in casks kept on Islay for the entire maturation period. The casks used were a combination of refill sherry and refill French oak wine casks, which the brand notes brings “dried friend and sweetness to the whisky, while enhancing Port Charlotte’s signature barbeque peat smoke.”

Adam Hannett, head distiller, said: “This is a special moment in my career and it’s a privilege to finally share our Port Charlotte 18 Years Old with the world. This is the oldest expression of Port Charlotte we’ve released to date and it’s a real marker in time. It showcases how far the brand has come since its inception in 2001. From uncertainty and the brink of closure, this spirit was laid down in 2004 while Bruichladdich Distillery found its feet, making its release today even more poignant.

“This is a whisky dedicated to our island and our community. For me, it’s everything an Islay whisky can and should be. So much has evolved and changed on our island while these casks have been quietly maturing in our warehouses, and this 18 Years Old pays homage to our past while looking ahead to the future.”

Tasting notes supplied by Bruichladdich highlight sweet, fruity flavours of dried fruit, toasted spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, and a soft peat smoke.

Hannett added: “Port Charlotte is a ‘typical’ Islay whisky in that it is heavily peated, but it is unlike anything else on the market.

“It is the truest expression of an Islay whisky, with everything – from the distillation through to maturation, and bottling – done on the island. This is a whisky about place. A spirit which embodies almost two decades of commitment to our island home.”

Port Charlotte 18 Years Old is available to purchase now from the Bruichladdich website.