Jim McEwan Signature Collection - Port Charlotte 1.2 2007

First fill keg Bordeaux, 13 years old, 60.9%

Distilled on October 26, 2007, this whiskey has spent its 13-year life maturing in cask #RO8/152-12. Maturation took place in a 1st fill Bordeaux red wine cask. But as you would expect from a cask selected by McEwan, this was much more than any Bordeaux cask, it was a Pomerol cask. Considered one of Bordeaux's rarest appellations, this little corner of the region has risen to fame in a relatively short time.

Bottled in February 2021 as Release 1.2 of Jim McEwan's Signature Collection, like all bottlings in the collection it was bottled unchill filtered, with no added coloring and at a natural cask strength of 60.9%. He only gave away 299 bottles.

Tasting Notes by Jim McEwan

Opens beautifully with peat smoke and coastal wildflowers; sea ​​roses, crimson heather, wild lilies and riverside marigolds, all held beautifully in a French oak cradle. Then the sweet crispness of malted barley emerges and is accompanied by lighter notes of plump, ripe grapes, which slip into a sea opening of blown sand and crushed seashells. Add a few drops of water and you've got notes and flavors of Turkish delight in the blink of an eye, all enveloped in a cradle of oak, smoke and sea spray.

Both graceful and muscular, it baffles the mind as the wine influence valiantly attempts to tame the sea-born West Coast islander with its smoky character. After weathering the storm, the luscious sweetness of the Grand Cru wine emerges beautifully like a sunrise after the storm, bringing sophistication and serenity to the senses. It's a classic case of Beauty and the Beast and there are no losers; the finish is long and lingering, with the palate swaying to Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World." And with this whiskey in your hand, it clearly is!

One of my best creations for sure!