I wish I could say I'm surprised ... I haven't gotten my hands on this yet, but I was underwhelmed by the Bruichladdich 18, which, at least here in the US, is much more "affordable" than this one.

subscibed. i wear a peakcap and have a beard ( lot more grey than yours lol). good work. cheers

Nice review mate, fuk the price either way, if you can afford it and like it go for it! if not go for something else, plenty great drams for under £100.......personally £175 is out of my range for this and most stuff at that price, it would have to be something special (like an octomore!) that i would splash out on........but with ardbeg uigiadal at £65 im a happy lad. cheers

Thanks for the review Shane. I absolutely love the Bruichladdich 18 and bought a backup bottle….I think I will pass on the Port Charlotte 18.

You´re an old soul and an intelligent guy

Hi WL As the Glen Scotia 12 Year Old Seasonal Release Whisky 70cl is now £57 from mom is it a banger? The 2022 release was criticised for the £80 cost but nearly made A grade. Any thoughts now?

Not being an oak fan and having a hard cap of 150 American on what I’m willing to pay for alcohol these are pretty much passes. I do enjoy certain toasted bottles mostly bourbon and I do enjoy certain wine finishes but for the most part it’s a pass on these. And I’m not a peat guy if it’s heavy the lighter peat bottles I have enjoyed and I’m trying to extend my peat issue. Great points on this bottle and I’m sure there are many that are going to get these regardless of price or taste. Enjoy!!

Just spared me the hassle of the mental gymnastics surrounding buying or not buying 😉. Congrats on the milestone good sir! 👍🏼

Great point about the abv's on Rum. I'm a Scotch guy who is newly exploring Rum as a "malternative" (the Rafly-ism, of course). For my first Rum purchase, this past Sunday I bought a bottle of Foursquare 12yo 2010, bottled at 60%. It's an absolutely dazzling dram. But (much like Uigeadail, I think) the flavors absolutely refuse to march noseward in an orderly, linear queue.

Nice review. Another distillery to look in 😊

Congratulations to Review 200 ! 😸 I must say I was really looking forward buying this bottle if it was around 200€ after asking from Bruichladdich is it going to be for sale in my country or some other European stores they said no. You can only order it from their online store which would mean import taxes and alcohol tax for me.. No thank you I guess I am not going to try this after all. Anyway Great review as always and interesting to hear your thoughts! I'll be looking forward seeing their new cask exploration bottle tho!

First of congrats on 200! Very cool Sadly every recent Ardbeg NAS committee release was already around the $175-200 mark in the US so this price tag did not scare or surprise me. In fact, often when I see European based reviewers talk about stuff that’s $200 in the US, they are complaining that it’s £80-100 there (which I’m quite jealous of) so 175 came as a surprise. I actually freshly opened the 10 and 18 together last week to see if the hunt and price was worth it. I’ve only had them once and try not to decide how I feel about something just based on the neck pour but my initial thoughts were that I appreciate the proof (most 18+s I’ve had from non-independent bottlers are 40-46%) and I particularly enjoyed the finish of the 18 more than the 10. I plan to try them a couple more times over the next month and form a more thoughtful opinion. I’m glad your review hit around the time I opened them but also glad I watched it AFTER I took my first sips. Cheers!

Nice honest review Shane. Can’t ask for more than that. Cheers

I picked up an 18 yr old Deanston, admittedly at ‘only’ 46% but significantly lower than £100. Great value.

Caol Ila 18; Speyburn 18: AnCnoc 18; Deanston 18; Balblair 18; and of course the winner: Ledaig 18

It is great finding out your channel on the 200 reviews mark, congrats and I raise my glass for the next 200 ones! I watched your video smoking my vintage Latakia and sipping Big Peat, so you can figure out I’m a smokehead (pun intended, just finished that bottle recently). I wholeheartedly agree with your two points: I used to enjoy an 18yo Glenfiddich at ±60£ not so long ago, and things seem to be outrageously uncontrollable nowadays; moreover, let us all, at last, delete the myth that smoked whisky is great when aged - I would much rather enjoy a classic Ardbeg or Laphroaig 10, rather than their 18+ versions (especially at those terribly unfair, for us lovers of their creations, prices). Even an old-time love, the Lagavulin 16, is turning into a luxury good now, a true shame.

Excellent review, as Always

Had a 20 year Port Charlotte two weeks ago from SMWS, very good but not good value

Peated Whisky is always better at a younger age

Congrats on 200 reviews! Most 18-year-old whiskies are already off my radar as they are too expensive, there isn't a lot under $200 NZD. Bruichladdich whiskies have really increased in price over the last 2-3 years. I bought my PC10 for $99 NZD and it is now around $130. When I look around to see what else is available at $130 there are plenty of other whiskies around that price point or cheaper, including a lot that I haven't tried yet but have good reviews. I would rather buy one of those than repurchase PC10 at that price. Cheers!

“Moments of greatness, but a bit of an identity crisis” haha made me laugh. Sounds like it’s going through a mid life crisis…

Curious what 18 year you do recommend? Or is it just a dead category because of price. Besides Ledaig 18 there really isn’t anything that good under $150 USD at 18 years

Add water. Not a surprise you can’t sense the age at 54.3% ABV

Pricing for 18 year old scot is totally insane and has been for years for a majority of the offerings. Right now if I can get $10 per year I’ll take it for an 18-year-old scotch or even a 15 year. Scotch pricing is out of control and it doesn’t seem like it’s getting any cheaper unless it is a big liquor retail store that just sells it at a loss.

Very well explained and an informative review. I paid 200 USD for this bottle and it was a cannonball run to get it. I have not opened it yet as I was waiting for a special occasion. I have made mental note of what was stated here and I hope to get some enjoyment out of this Scotch. my curiosity got me and I just had to know about an 18-year-old Port Charlotte.

Let's face it. All of these Islay "special releases" are way overpriced. Ardbeg (always $200+) Port Charlotte Cask Exploration Series ($150+), Lagavulin 12 ($150+). In my opinion the only ones that are reasonable are Laphroaig. The Cairdeas comes out every year and it's like $100. The core range of Ardbeg and Port Charlotte are all you really need. Oogie and Corry are great and are $100 or less. For the record I bought this bottle and love it. Yes its overpriced but at least you still get a hefty punch of peat at 18 years old. You even mentioned that a lot of the peat flavors get mellowed out in older whiskies. Talisker 18 is way too mellow for example. I want some punch! What else is out there that's 18 years old, at this poof and craft presented? Bunna is another one that has lost its mind with pricing. The 18 is like $300 in the US.

This is a fair price IMO. What other 18 year peated cask strength OB is cheaper?

Whisky was the very definition of a working class libation for the first several centuries it existed - I mean how it was made, who made it, who tried to keep tabs on it being made, you name it. It's only very very recently it's started to be perceived as a luxury item; in my mind that shift coincides with the industry's consolidation into an ever-smaller number of massive hands (Diageo, Pernod Ricard, etc.) and has has been intentionally engineered by the same. Fine, a leopard can't change it's spots, but consumers have bought into it - literally - hook line and sinker. In America you have people queuing up outside stores at 4am on delivery days so they can post pictures of their "haul" against the backdrop of their Mercedes steering wheel. Silliness.

Congrats Shane! PC 18 is a no go at that price. I have the 10, SC01 and Islay Barley so I think that gives me enough of variety in the PC line up for now. As for the 18 range, I managed to myself a bottle of Ledaig 18 recently and excited to try it.

Excellent review Shane! I do love this Port Charlotte 18 but I agree the prices are out of control. I grabbed a couple of these beauties but the pricing is leaving many enthusiasts out and I hate that. I do feel outraged by the prices. Great thoughts as always. They are very appreciated. I do think I enjoyed this Port Charlotte a bit more than you - not sure! I am very happy with the 18 and was glad I could try this scotch. I did experience a lot more elegance. It stood out more for me. I do love (adore!) the Bruichladdich 10 but for me I do enjoy the 18 in an elevated way. Criticism is absolutely fair but just for me this a very pleasurable experience and a delight on my palette to sip on. I'm not new to older scotch and I love it and seek it out when I can and I am okay with this purchase in the end but I absolutely value your take on this scotch. Right on - I also love the youthful peat monsters! I give financially to meaningful world causes so perhaps I feel slightly less guilty giving in occasionally to these outrageous scotch prices as a splurge (and I splurge on very little) but my overall view with everything is that I want these amazing scotch whiskies to be accessible for everyone to enjoy and take part in. I hope that makes sense. Cheers Shane!🙂

Wonderful review as always. I come from the bourbon world where it’s common to pay ten dollars for each year of age. In other words we typically don’t flinch when a ten year old whiskey is around 100$. Our climate combined with the new charred oak restriction makes most stuff over 12 years old a little too oaky in most cases. Even when a more aged statement is released we as bourbon fans tend to go back to that adage. Curious if there’s any commonly held thoughts about price relating to age in the Scotch community. Only just a year or so into the category myself.

I really wanted to buy it but at 200€ that's just way too expensive for me. I got a Craigellachie 17 instead for litteraly half the price. Same goes for their cask series. I stick to the 10YO and i buy it at travel retail in 1000ml format.

Shane, congrats on 200 reviews and thanks for reviewing this Whisky. I'm a Bruichladdich/Port Charlotte fan but after paying $170 USD for the Bruichaladdich 18 I didn't even think about getting a bottle of PC 18. Cheers to next 200 reviews!

200 and a rant!!! I just stroked my ego and bought the Bruichladdich 18 for $175 750ml and my collection is done. The PC cask exploration bottles are about $130 for comparison. And Talisker 18 is on the shelf for $168. I've felt that price and logic has gone out the window since we've been all enthusiastic about the KK8 and the GlenAllachie 10. Sure they're half the price but the low age gave the go-ahead for the market to change towards insanity. I really do love the 2007 Port Charlotte Scottish Barley.

Oh yeah! That bunna is unbelievable and one of my all time favourites

Laws of diminishing return applies here. . . nice vid, just save 300-400 $CA. . .

For 18 years old and Single Cask, Cask Strength, maybe €200. For a standard bottling this is just crazy pricing. I stopped buying Octomore for this reason, age went down, price went up. Great 200th review!!

Thanks for biting the bullet for us. I think unless I get a massive pay raise I won’t be buying any 18 year old whisky until the bubble pops

I looked for an octopus on the label but they can be allusive and camouflage well.😂 This PC18 is more in line with the PC cask exploration series than a mature PC10 which is mostly exbourbon. I’m in alignment with you regarding price… and there’s absolutely NO way we’d buy another…. Until next year if they release a mostly exbourbon 😂 Then we’d have to buy one final time just to compare….for science 🧐 and then swear off them forever once again 😇

🥃👍🏻😊

200 not out, good innings Shane, thank god Ledaig 18 I can pick up for under a ton but guess I've just jinxed that. Heres to another 200 matey, cheers

Hey, Shane! Nice review , well spoken, insightful and detailed. As for the particular whisky I simply don't care. I have way too many whisky bottles in the stash, enough to easily last me a decade even if I completely stop buying new bottles today and keep the consumption rate. So I decide to just not indulge the blatant greed of any producer or merchant. Nobody should be entitled with such cynical behavior. Bruichladdich or not, 18 yo or not, the price asked is absolutely unjustifiable. IMHO 100 pounds for a bottle of this whisky are perfectly fine to make up for the production costs and even secure a decent profit nowadays. 150, 170 or even more is abuse which I refuse to be a part of. Cheers!

I had many samples of the whiskies at 0.02 to 0.05l volumes ... and I don't remember them as good as "whole bottles samples"... at least 100-200ml bottles 21 YO Glenfiddich has 0.2L bottling with ~affordable price 45 euro, It would be good for other whisky brands to do the same with their 15-21 yo

Buy indie bottlings for older malts

Happy 200th! PC18 is not yet make to my market. But will keep an eyes to get a sample before make any purchases decision

Here's to the next 200 reviews, Shane. "Drivel"? Seriously? Well, I guess if you work really hard at it, just like I have, you might see that drivel rise to the lofty heights of pure gibberish! As for the PC stuff, I've always enjoyed the 10 and have flirted with the idea of buying something different from them, but I'll pass on the 18.

Great review, Shane. Really want to try this, but this video has been a terrible sales pitch. Congrats on hitting 200, buddy. 🥃

Truly too expensive. Btw., I appreciate your narrative and honest reviews!

As a fan of the Bunnahabhain 18 I would often hear they were extracting the urine charging £120 which was sometimes difficult to push back against. we have seen Talisker 18 triple in price overnight and Diageo rightly took a kicking for that same for Kilchoman with their 16. Bruichladdich seem to get a longer leash with enthusiasts but with these recent 18 y/o releases they have now jumped their own shark. Thank god (or the algorithm) I came upon this review as I was strongly considering buying blind but this has made me see sense. It’s been relegated to try before I buy and from what I have just heard I don’t think it will pass the taste test. I wonder if they have some casks of 18 year old Octomore ready to throw out there for £500 a pop. Worth remembering that there’s people who drop £180 on Johnnie Walker Blue Label.

How would it compare to Ledaig 18 at half the price?