Old Pulteney Single Cask 16yo
Kensington Wine Market Exclusive | 55% ABV
Sometimes the best recipes are the simple ones.
It’s no secret many distilleries have their highs and lows. Old Pulteney is one. But ask any malt enthusiast what the most memorable official release might be, inevitably most will wax lyrically about the long-lost but dear 17 year old.
It was discontinued a few years ago and, try as they might, Pulteney seems not to have been able to captivate us quite in the same way with their recent releases and rebrand. We’ve been chasing that 17yo perfect balance ever since, analysing and chasing their releases to see if we can unlock some of that old magic. Let’s see if the chasing of flavours has paid off with this single cask.
As someone who has spent most of their life on one of the largest freshwater bodies in the world it becomes extra intriguing to me to enjoy a whisky with a distinctly salty note.
There’s also something to living beside a rugged coastline or what even a mighty great lake can do to effect our moods. After over a decade of serious malt enjoyment, I can say I often reach for malts to match my temperament and all the better when they are cask strength. Also, my journey as a flavour chaser has led me to finding deep enjoyment of mid-teen to mid-twenties malts in refill bourbon casks and left in peace to slumber in its natural splendour. We have that here…. well almost.
I’ll throw my hat into the “malt botherer” category as well today, why not? I looked all over this bottle for those magical words to reassure me this was a natural whisky, with nothing added and nothing taken out, but alas they were never found.
I will also admit when I am ignorant on a subject, truthfully that’s most things in my life but, the Oceans of the world are definitely one of them. They fascinate me, they make me cautious and even as a youngster those National Geographic images of deep-sea creatures terrified me. The luxury of fresh water is you only need worry about the undertow and lightning, that’s about it.
So, a word of kindness to any potential jelly fish near the shores and harbours of Wick, please have mercy on an old whisky loving fool should I decide to tip my ankles in for moment while I visit you soon.
This is all to say that salt, my fellow whisky friends, is one of the alluring, unique and often illusive features in the scotch whisky world and one I find entrances me as though it were a spice newly delivered along the Silk Road.
Review
Old Pulteney, Single Cask #236, bottle 045/216, distilled 2004, bottled 2020, ex-bourbon barrel, bottled for Kensington Wine Market, 55% ABV
£95 paid, sold out.
Control malt used: Compass Box Orchard House
Nose
Warm porridge and sweet custard, floral honey, subtle threads of salty coastal rocks and citrus sweets.
Palate
Opens to a gentle creamy maltiness, mouth coating amber honey pushes into a spicy sweet custard, toasted oak, with candied ginger, and grapefruit peel. The finale is a harmonizing sweet and salty finish that satisfies.
The Dregs
This is not a shy malt, but neither is it boisterous. It hits the spot, although it could use a little extra ink to state whether it is natural colour and non-chill filtered, but I digress.
This is what I like to refer to as a “gratitude whisky”. Simply meaning I am grateful someone with some good sense decided to bottle this barrel at the right time and I am grateful it has become part of my whisky journey. This isn’t overdone at all. The recipe is simple, and it works. It reminds me of the excellent Old Pulteney 17yo but a little more youthful and with a healthier alcohol delivery.
I remain on the hunt for more mid-teen Old Pulteney, that’s for sure, all the while hoping that what I actually stumble upon is some of that old 17yo magic. Meanwhile, these ex-bourbon, cask strength and ever-so-slightly-salty single casks may be a pretty decent stop gap.
Score: 7/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. UB
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