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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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December 15, 2022 |
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The next one northward, after Clynelish and before Highland Park. Always loved to taste Pulteney, even if some NAS from a few years ago have been a little oak-heavy for me, although it seems that matters have righted themselves and that vanilla fell in line, so to speak. Let's have a few… (picture Undiscovered Scotland) |
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Old Pulteney (85° UK proof, Cadenhead, 26? fl.Ozs, 1960s) 
An incredible old Pulteney from WM Cadenhead's when they were still located 47 Netherkirkgate, Aberdeen. Angus already tried this one, on April 2 this year. 85° UK proof translates into 48.5% vol. Colour: almost white. Nose: possibly as it was when it was bottled, that is to say sooty and rather on apple eau-de-vie, lager, concrete dust and metal polish. There might be some OBE (old toolbox), but again, I don't find it obvious. Some small whiffs of cut turnips too, perhaps something saline, maritime, briney (light brine)… With crushed oyster shells. What's sure is that strictly no one's making this dry style anymore. Mouth: lightly smoky and very salty. No wonder some good folks have been telling tales about distillers using seawater, or rolling their barrels in the sea, to the puffers. The notes of apple eau-de-vie are still there (ever tried Rochelt's Gravenstein? Please do…), the soot too, there's also some salty concrete, or 'licking beach pebbles', also sesame oil and williams pears, a little mead, honey eau-de-vie (very hard to make properly, believe me), perhaps champagne… Finish: pretty long and a little sweeter, with jelly babies. Jelly babies in an old malt that was probably distilled right after WWII! Some saltiness and raw weissbeer in the aftertaste. Comments: truly a time machine, I don't think this one's been 'bent by glass' over the years, or at least not too much. By the way, it was a cork stopper, not a twist cap. Moving bottle…
SGP:452 - 91 points. |
Let's find a modern one bottled at a similar strength, for the cause… |
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Pulteney 13 yo 2008/2022 (48.5%, Decadent Drinks, Equinox & Solstice, 1st fill and refill bourbon barrels) 
Colour: white wine. Nose: incredible, the kinship is obvious, this is almost the same make, this one being just a little simpler, less coastal and with more wood, especially vanilla. The gravenstein apples are back, for example, as well as the williams pears, peaches as well, straight in the nose. There's a freshness that's actually pretty coastal, although not quite on iodine or oysters, and small whiffs of tomato leaves. White asparagus instead of turnips. Mouth: good fun, gentian, chalk, oysters this time, elderberry eau-de-vie… These Pulteneys are pretty eau-de-vie-ish, in a good way! Finish: medium, fresh, clearly coastal now, with drops of seawater, plus some turmeric and gentian indeed. Earthier and slightly smokier aftertaste, with a little ale. Comments: I'm glad the first fill oak never went came in through, I would say Pulteney's a spirit that's way better when au naturel. Loved this fresh, characterful little one and again, it's clearly of the same bloodline.
SGP:452 - 88 points. |
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Pulteney 10 yo 2011/2021 (54.4%, Hart Brothers, Cask Strength) 
Colour: white wine. Nose: this one too is close to nature, to sourdough, to chalk, to soot, to green apples, porridge, bitter beer, Brussels sprouts… and lemon drops. Feels younger, and really fermentary when undiluted. With water: raw leaves and grasses, cut cactus, damp old magazines, more sourdough and porridge, wet plaster… Mouth (neat): a little hot and raw, this time on kirschwasser and clafoutis. With water: some rooty sweetness, malt, lemon liqueur, touch of chartreuse and verbena liqueur (Verveine), some saltiness… The Pulteneyness is coming out of its coating. Finish: long, clearly coastal now. Apples, lemons, sour bread, whelks. Whelks are important animals! Comments: I wasn't too sure at first but water did this youngster much good.
SGP:462 - 85 points. |
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Pulteney 11 yo 2007/2019 (57.2%, A.D. Rattray, for Switzerland, bourbon barrel, cask #700750, 245 bottles) 
Glad to come across some A.D. Rattray. I fondly remember when the brand was (re)started, around twenty years ago (as Dewar Rattray). Colour: white wine. Nose: ink and dough and chalk straight away, then cider apples and porridge. Less coastalness in this one, as it appears, perhaps because the cask has been a little more active (marzipan, coconut). With water: fresh-sawn oak, nougat, a little mint… Mouth (neat): firm, oilier and waxier than the others, with more vanilla, bananas and indeed coconut. Excellent, but it is a good example of an active cask having gotten in the way. That's kind of absorbed the coastal freshness. With water: indeed. Some sweet oak, vanilla, ginger and nutmeg, orange zests… It's all excellent, but rather in the style of some rather oak-driven OBs, such as many NAS. All very good, but not really 'Pulteney-y'. Finish: medium, sweet, candied. Nougat, oranges, bananas, ginger ale, honey… Comments: very good, sweet barrel just a little too dominant, in my humble opinion.
SGP:551 - 83 points. |
Perhaps a shier hogshead… |
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Pulteney 15 yo 2006/2021 (57.8%, The Whisky Cask Company, bourbon hogshead, cask #52, 284 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: this time the eaux-de-vie have taken over (kirsch and plum, with hints of almonds and soap) but some sour wines and touches of fennel and caraway are adding nice variations. Some kind of salty, artisanal raki, perhaps? Rather love this! With water: seawater and oysters, porridge, wool, chalk, leaven… and a drop of pastis. Charming nose. Mouth (neat): awesome, with indeed, fennel, caraway, liquorice, salt and… pastis. Great fun. With water: the saltiness is growing, also lemons, sour beers, seawater, liquorice… Finish: long, salty, on doughs, stewed zucchini, whelks again… A tiny bit of grass smoke in the aftertaste. Come on, not that grass. Comments: this very lovely Pulteney needs your time and your skills with a pipette, but it'll reward you.
SGP:452 - 88 points. |
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Pulteney 2000/2021 (55.6%, Or Sileis, Navigator, refill barrel, cask #100774, 157 bottles)
After Switzerland, we're in Taiwan now. Colour: pale gold. Nose: to whom should I write to file a complaint? This Pulteney is closer to a Clynelish, honestly! (I agree, why would we complain)… Citrons, beeswax, orange cake, quince jelly, clams, paraffin, croissants, eucalyptus syrup (cures cough, bronchitis, sore throats, flue, sinusitis… yeah we sound like a whisky label in the 1930s…) With water: doughs, porridge, paper pulp, tissue, oysters, lemons, fern and moss, seaweed… This is astonishing. Mouth (neat): extraordinary saltiness, very tight body, lovely bitter grasses, fantastic waxy honeyness, and even a small banana. Ueber-perfect spirit-cask balance. I'd have said Clynelish, even if this is actually saltier than Clynelish. Something may have happened between Brora and Wick, back in the year 2000! With water: plain and utter perfection – upon my taste, naturally. Finish: long, fat, salty, waxy, with orange zests and iodine in the aftertaste. Comments: shall we call it Pultenish or Clyneley? Let's stop this joking, did anyone ever try to compose such a perfect blended malt? It is absolutely impossible to me to score this utter wonder below…
SGP:552 - 92 points. |
Of course it was a Pulteney. BTW, there will be a huge Clynelish session here before the end of this year, with several emblematic bottlings that we've never tasted before, I mean, formally.
Now, look at what we've found in the Whiskyfun Archive...-> |
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