
April 9, 2018

Old Pulteney, reloaded

Well, we had just tried the 12 – 17 - 21 the other day, the latter being now discontinued. Even the 17, I’ve heard from some friends. Very good whiskies! But there’s also a newer 25, and we just couldn’t wait any longer…

Old Pulteney 25 yo (46%, OB, 2017)

From American and Spanish oak casks (re-racked in oloroso two years before it was bottled in late 2017). Colour: full gold. Nose: no feeling of quick finishing, rather a fresh nose, with ripe peaches, dandelions, lilies, then ripe blood oranges, then cigarettes, eucalyptus, embrocations, cinnamon… I find this freshness impressive, while it could have been a little heavy. Still a ‘coastal’ malt… Mouth: the oak’s a tad loud(ish) now and I have to say used to find the official 40 fresher. Many candied and dried fruits, candied angelica (big), maraschino cherries, a touch of Turkish delight (rose flavoured), and more and more raisins. A bit rich, perhaps. Some cloves, caraway and cinnamon from the oak. Finish: long, rather more on oranges, which is obviously nice. The oak’s more apparent in the aftertaste. White pepper and cinnamon, kirsch, Black Forest cake, more rich maraschino... Comments: very high quality, just a tad ‘too much’ for me. I liked the 17 rather better, for it was much… fresher.
SGP:651 - 86 points.

Old Pulteney 1983 (46%, OB, 2017)

Same combination of American and Spanish oak casks, same way of finishing it, but this one’s almost ten years older. Should we worry? Mind you, it’s thirty-three years old… Colour: dark amber. Nose: most bizarrely – and happily – this one is fresher, more floral, more coastal, rather more medicinal… and less oaky/dry-fruited. It’s also got many more citrus, oranges, tangerines, mandarins, even pink grapefruits… All in all, it’s rather more ‘Pulteney’, which is very nice, obviously. Mouth: we’re closer to the 25, but this isn’t as ‘rich’ (I’m not saying cloying) while the oak would rather go towards cedar, incense, something balsamic… Some Seville oranges too – those always work – as well as touches of salted millionaire shortbread (remember the ones they were having opposite Bowmore distillery?) and, once again, angelica. Wee touches of mulled wine but all is fine, nothing excessive. Finish: long, a tad more oaked. I would have loved to try this baby before they did the finishing. Oranges to the rescue in the aftertaste. Comments: very good and rather brighter than the 25.
SGP:551 - 88 points.

Check the index of all Pulteney we've tasted so far