Port Charlotte 2001 First Cut
50cl / 61.5%
£169.00
- Cask type: Bourbon
- Malt type: Single Malt
- Region: Scotland
- Chilfiltered: No
- Coloring: No
Tasting Notes
Farm Animals, Grass, Wildflowers and Earth
Honey, Peach, Marmalade and Smoke
Long Finish, Chocolate and Smoke
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The distillery’s inaugural Port Charlotte cut, bottled for Fèis Ìle 2007 from a single bourbon cask at natural strength.
At-a-Glance
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Distillery / Bottler / Country & Region | Bruichladdich (Port Charlotte), Islay, Scotland |
| Category | Single malt Scotch whisky |
| Age / Vintage / Bottled | 5 years; distilled 28 May 2001; bottled 27 May 2007 |
| ABV & Size(s) | 61.5% ABV; 50 cl |
| Cask / Treatment | Single ex-bourbon cask (no. 007); single cask; bottled at natural strength |
| Natural Colour | Stated as no added colour on retail specification |
| Non-Chill-Filtered | Stated as non-chill-filtered on retail specification |
| Cask Strength | Yes |
| Bottle count / Outturn | 950 bottles, individually numbered |
| Intended channel | Distillery release for Fèis Ìle 2007 |
| Packaging | Standard Port Charlotte presentation for special releases; carton not consistently documented; bottle carries cask number and individual bottle number |
| Notes on discrepancies | Some market listings conflate this with PC5 (also subtitled First Cut). This chapter covers the 50 cl Fèis Ìle 2007 single-cask bottling (61.5%), not the 70 cl PC5 general release. Where retailers differ on colour/filtration statements, defaulting to the brand’s disclosure for this bottle shows natural colour and NCF. |
Historical Context
Port Charlotte is Bruichladdich’s heavily peated distillate, conceived after the distillery’s 2001 revival. The name honours the long-closed Lochindaal (Port Charlotte) distillery. First Cut marks the first Port Charlotte distillation run in 2001 and was bottled for Fèis Ìle 2007 as a commemorative single cask. The period (2001–2007) corresponds to the early Jim McEwan era, when Bruichladdich leaned into cask individuality, high bottling strengths, transparency of cask details, and festival exclusives that documented the distillery’s restart milestones.
Technical Specification & Variant Map
2.1 Documented variants
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Port Charlotte 2001 First Cut — 50 cl, 61.5% ABV, single bourbon cask #007, 950 bottles, bottled May 2007 for Fèis Ìle 2007.
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Port Charlotte PC5 “First Cut” — 70 cl, cask-strength (approx. 63.5%), general release in 2006; separate product line from the single-cask Fèis Ìle bottling above.
Variant Matrix
| ABV | Volume | Market | Era cues | Relative desirability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61.5% | 50 cl | Distillery/Fèis Ìle | First Port Charlotte distillation; cask #007; bottled 27 May 2007 | High to very high due to first-run significance and single-cask status |
| ~63.5% | 70 cl | General retail (PC5) | 2006 PC series debut; not single cask | High, but separate line from the Fèis Ìle single-cask covered here |
2.2 Packaging & authenticity checklist
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Closure/capsule: standard capsule over a natural cork; check for intact capsule and undisturbed cork.
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Front label should state First Cut, vintage 2001, cask #007, outturn 950, and 61.5% ABV; bottle number is typically printed or written.
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Back label often reiterates Fèis Ìle 2007 and cask details.
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Look for correct 50 cl bottle size; the PC5 variant is 70 cl and should not be confused with the Fèis bottling.
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Authenticity tells: crisp label print, correct Bruichladdich glass mould profile for the era, and festival context. Beware re-sealed or stained labels and mismatched caps.
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Condition pitfalls: sediment can appear in high-strength single casks; verify fill level (base of neck or better is typical for well-kept examples).
2.3 Regulatory/terminology notes
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Scotch whisky term applies (matured >3 years).
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Natural colour and non-chill-filtered are explicitly disclosed for this release.
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“Cask strength” here denotes bottling at the cask’s natural high ABV, without dilution prior to bottling.
Liquid Profile (from verifiable notes)
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Nose: Farmyard and coastal smoke over honeyed malt; citrus oils and wildflower lift; charred vanilla from first-fill bourbon wood.
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Palate: Concentrated peat embers, sweet malt, orange peel and peach; cinnamon and clove; oily texture carrying soot and maritime salinity.
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Finish: Long, ashy and saline, with persistent bourbon vanilla and marmalade bitterness.
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With water: A few drops open softer orchard fruit and vanilla cream, but too much can flatten the peat drive; best with restrained dilution.
Pricing & Market Dynamics (GBP)
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Original RRP (GBP): Not stated by the producer.
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Current UK retail range (GBP, incl. VAT): c. £299–£750 depending on condition and vendor.
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Recent UK/EU auction range (GBP, hammer): £95 (Aug 2022); £115 (Mar 2020); £82.50 (Oct 2024).
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Pricing stratification: The 50 cl Fèis Ìle single-cask carries a premium over standard 10-year expressions and competes with the PC series; clean provenance, intact capsule, and higher fill materially improve results.
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FX note: Not applicable.
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Liquidity & sourcing note: Bottles surface regularly at UK specialist auctions but clear provenance and original presentation (if boxed) command stronger hammer prices; retail stock is sporadic.
Price Snapshot
| Channel | Date | Bottle spec | Price (GBP) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail | Ongoing | 50 cl, 61.5% | 299–750 | UK specialist retailers; price spread reflects scarcity and condition |
| Auction | Mar 2020 | 50 cl, 61.5% | 115 | Single-cask #007; bottle numbered |
| Auction | Aug 2022 | 50 cl, 61.5% | 95 | Festival single-cask; no reserve sale |
| Auction | Oct 2024 | 50 cl, 61.5% | 82.50 | UK online whisky auction; typical neck fill |
Distillery/Bottler Snapshot
Bruichladdich’s Islay distillery (revived in 2001) produces three distinct styles: unpeated Bruichladdich, heavily peated Port Charlotte (circa 40 ppm malt), and super-heavily peated Octomore. Early-2000s bottlings emphasised cask provenance, high natural strengths and transparency. First Cut records the beginning of Port Charlotte’s production story in a single-cask snapshot from ex-bourbon oak.
Sourcing
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Target formats/eras to prefer
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The Fèis Ìle 2007 50 cl “First Cut” with full, legible cask and bottle numbering, high fill and unblemished capsule.
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Red flags to avoid
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Confusion with PC5 (70 cl) when buying or pricing; missing or smudged bottle numbers; labels without cask #007; compromised capsule or signs of seepage.
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Condition thresholds (fill/box/labels)
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Aim for base-of-neck fill or above; capsule intact; carton (if present) clean; labels crisp with no significant scuffing.
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Margin/velocity expectations — qualitative
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Liquidity is fair due to brand cachet and first-run status; margins vary with acquisition price. Faster turnover at the mid-market tier; premium asks require excellent condition and storytelling.
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