A new quintet of Pulteney


October 23, 2025

A new quintet of Pulteney

Wick Harbour

Wick Harbour (Wick Harbour)

Here we are, back in Wick, with this magnificent distillate carrying delightfully maritime aromas when overly active casks haven’t been used. Let’s take a look at what we’ve got on the table…

Old Pulteney 2006/2024 (51%, OB, exclusive to Germany, cask #2101, 204 bottles)

Colour: gold. Nose: it's very fresh, first and foremost on green apple and lemon, with soft vanilla humming quietly in the background and a light sheen of coconut—nothing excessive, so no unwelcome piña colada effect here. With water: the vanilla comes more to the fore now, alongside touches of fennel and a whisper of candle wax that points discreetly southward, toward a certain cousin on the east coast. You're right, that would be Clynelish. Mouth (neat): fresh oak makes quite the entrance, bringing along an herbal, slightly bitter side that would nod toward some of the more pugnacious IPAs. The green apple theme remains firmly in charge. With water: no real change, save for a few welcome salty flourishes. Finish: rather long, with green apple and coconut returning to the spotlight. Comments: very good, just a tad too much fresh oak for my personal liking.
SGP:561 - 84 points.

Since we were in Germany and in 2006...

Old Pulteney 2006/202 (52.2%, OB, for Kirsch Import, cask #1454, 270 bottles)

Colour: pale gold. Nose: close to the previous one but a little softer, less dominated by oak, yet still wonderfully refreshing and again led by that slightly tart little apple. With water: creamier now, moving towards custard. Mouth (neat): a fine balance here between the distillate's natural acidity and a fairly fresh oakiness. There's a marked herbal side, but also a touch of honey peeking through. With water: it rounds out again this time, with lemon now joining the green apple in gentle harmony. Finish: quite long, mellow, fruitier, with oranges and a bit of passion fruit stepping in. Comments: a very charming simplicity.
SGP:551 - 85 points.

Old Pulteney 2006/2022 (53.4%, OB, for Kirsch Import, cask #740, 252 bottles)

Colour: pale gold. Nose: very close again, perhaps even softer still, leaning more towards custard and apple tart. With water: beautifully balanced, with some lemony flashes coming through. Mouth (neat): amusingly, while it’s rounder and gentler on the nose, it turns more herbal and tangier on the palate, almost as if it were a vatting of the previous two. With water: very good, fresh, tangy, with plenty of citrus joining the green apple and even a hint of rhubarb. Finish: quite long, fresh, fruity, all in simple charm. A fun peppery twist in the aftertaste. Comments: I like this one just a tiny bit more.
SGP:551 - 86 points.

Old Pulteney 11 yo 2013/2025 (53%, Decadent Drams, 1st fill bourbon barrel)

It looks like we can spot the landlord of the Fiddler’s Inn on the label. Colour: straw. Nose: this time we're closer to the maritime tension of the distillate itself, with the oak playing a lesser role. There’s green apple, green banana, a few touches of lovage and sorrel, then a dab of honey smoothing the whole affair out. Very fine—youthful, fresh, easy. With water: water brings it nearer to the officials, though the lovage still holds its ground, along with a few unexpectedly waxy notes. Mouth (neat): same markers, but this one's livelier than the rather lovely OBs, less influenced by American oak, and more led by lime and even a drop of olive brine. With water: much the same again, though this time with a dash of orange cream. And yes, the lovage remains! Finish: fairly long, extending the palate with matching notes. Comments: in truth, we’re very close to the previous official.
SGP:551 - 87 points.

Let’s finish with a much older official release...

Old Pulteney 38 yo (49.8%, OB, China exclusive, Spanish oak oloroso sherry-seasoned butt, 630 bottles, +/-2025)

Not far off €6,000 a bottle in travel retail in Hong Kong, not bad! This baby spent most of its life in American oak before being reracked into sherry. Colour: dark red amber. Nose: praline and raspberry ganache all along, joined by prunes and dates, with a few drops of hoisin sauce (but of course) and an umami edge that only grows with time, though the whole remains soft and quite jammy, almost like a very old PX. Gentle notes of petrol and tar in the background only make it more complex. Tarry ropes, camphor... in fact it just keeps gaining in complexity minute after minute, to the point where it turns... maritime! Mouth: fairly punchy, with a beautiful bitterness to start (dark tobacco, dried seaweed), then it becomes more and more tertiary, with touches of furniture polish, old walnuts, more tobacco again and a slew of maritime, salty, fermentary touches. A few tiny drops of fish sauce and some beef broth too. Finish: not eternal, but that’s to be expected. The salinity comes even more to the fore, as do the tobacco, chocolate and prunes, along with a bit of biltong. Comments: we were slightly apprehensive at the start, but air and time brought everything together again, delivering a magnificent old Pulteney that even some very assertive casks couldn’t quite steer away from its coastal DNA.
SGP:562 - 91 points.

(Merci, Morten)

Check the index of all Old Pulteney we've tasted