The Bruichladdich Distillery has announced the launch of two new releases in celebration of this year’s Islay Festival of Music and Malt (Fèis Ìle). Both are said to exemplify the distillery’s commitment to pushing boundaries while honouring the rich heritage of Islay single malt whisky.

Port Charlotte PC5 Redux (63.5% ABV) is a five-year-old heavily peated single malt Scotch whisky, matured in American oak casks. It pays homage to the first spirit to come off the stills 25 years ago, when the distillery resumed production, and to the first whisky released by the reopened distillery.

On 29 May 2001, when Bruichladdich Distillery reopened after being mothballed in 1994, Port Charlotte was the first liquid to run from the stills. Five years later, PC5 became the first whisky released by the distillery. The release defined Port Charlotte’s signature sweet barbecue smoke profile and quickly became one of its most revered expressions.

Octomore Black Art (OBA) Redux (54.2% ABV), a peated single malt Scotch whisky, is said to combine the mystery of Bruichladdich’s Black Art with Octomore’s nuanced power.

The experimental release revives the OBA concept ten years after its initial debut. First introduced as a dram in 2016 by Master Blender Adam Hannett during his inaugural Fèis Ìle masterclass, OBA Concept_01 was released to fans a year later in 2017, selling out almost immediately.

Commenting on the Port Charlotte PC5 Redux, Adam Hannett, said: “This revisiting of the original PC5 recipe captures the raw energy of heavily peated Islay whisky in its formative years. Distilled, matured and bottled on Islay, the spirit leads with confidence — vibrant, smoky and alive with bright citrus. American oak supports the spirit rather than dominating it, allowing the purity of the barley and the influence of Islay’s unique locale to shine through. It’s amazing to think that this was the first spirit to run from the stills during our debut festival day in 2001. Powerful yet elegant, this whisky celebrates the bold character that defined an era.”

He also commented on the Octomore OBA Redux, saying: “Transparency is the hallmark of Bruichladdich Distillery, but one single malt whisky that goes against the grain is Black Art, a spirit shrouded in secrecy. By omitting the details behind Black Art’s creation – barley varietal, date of distillation and specific maturation profile – something else is revealed: the pure, sensorial act of delighting entirely in the spirit’s flavour. So, we asked ourselves, ‘what if the mysteries of Black Art and the nuanced power of Octomore were married together?’”

“This is a beautifully fragrant and fruit-forward Octomore,” continued Hannett. “Floral elegance and tropical sweetness meet smoke and tempered oak. It is a spirit of immense power, yet possesses a silken, architectural refinement. Unlike other Octomore expressions, you won’t find us talking about the age or phenol parts per million (PPM) of this release. Sometimes, things are better left a mystery.”

Bruichladdich will welcome whisky enthusiasts from around the world to its aqua-clad courtyard on Sunday May 24th, as part of its day of celebrations as part of this year’s Fèis Ìle.

Situated on the banks of Lochindaal, the aptly named Rock’ndaal festival will feature a line-up of live Scottish musical talent, including Nathan Evans & The SAINT PHNX Band, Tidelines, Cammy Barnes and Calum MacPhail. Revellers will also be able to enjoy a variety of local produce, The Botanist Gin cocktails and a wide selection of distillery drams.

Port Charlotte PC5 Redux and Octomore Black Art (OBA) Redux, both limited to 2,500 bottles each, will be available via bruichladdich.com and in person at the distillery from May 24th, for the respective RRP’s of £75.00 and £325.00.