Old Pulteney – 17 Year Old

I keep seeing the Old Pulteney 12 on offer when I am doing my food shopping. I have always thought to myself that it looks like an interesting dram, but with it being so cheap I am always sceptical that it will be good to drink. So, in the interest of exploration, I picked up a little taster of one of their more interesting sounding drams. Not long after I had bought this, the Old Pulteney 1989 Vintage won a big award and doing a little digging and a few others have won awards. So just goes to show that you should never judge a whisky without tasting it!

Old Pulteney is one of the most Northerly distilleries on Mainland Scotland. It is situated in the coastal town of Wick and as such is known as the Maritime Malt. The distillery was established in 1826, when it was difficult to access except by sea. This means that barley was shipped to the distillery and that lots of the workers used to also be herring fisherman!

Cost: £55 – 65

Appearance: Golden, like a setting sun.

Nose: Vanilla, Oak, Apple Juice and Raisin

Taste: Here the start of the whisky is light, sweet, but wooden. This sweetness is rich and fruity like a complex brown sugar.

Then shortly after there is a short, sweet spice, which is spice of cinnamon, of nutmeg and of allspice. It’s never over powerful, but always smooth. Developing from this spice is a light, smoky note in the middle, which reminds me of smoky bacon or of smoked fish. There is still a sweetness in this part, which balances and warms.

The final flavours here are wooden and smooth. There are creamy notes, but there is strength of alcohol, which clings to the palate and dries. The main notes present at this point are robust fruity notes, which are much more akin to the fruit in a well roasted coffee bean than any fresh fruit. This is luxurious and there are other notes hidden here. There is a fresh, greenness like cucumber.

Mouthfeel: Wooden, drying and dark.

Overall: This whisky is strong in flavour, it is rich and complex. At all points there are multiple flavours that mingle and are revealed one by one. The richness carries the strength. This one is definitely one for my wish list.

Real Dram Factor: 8.0

More Information: Old Pulteney Website

Purchased: Master of Malt

Buy Online: Old Pulteney 17 Year Old Scotch Whisky 70 cl