Tag Archives: Old Pulteney

2024 London Whisky Show – Old Pulteney Port and 25 year

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The doors to the 2024 Whisky Show opened and the throngs poured in. Our plan was to find the right calibration dram or two, and then beeline for our Dream Dram picks!

And then we spotted the Inver House stand – with two favourites Balblair and Old Pulteney. How could we resist?

We began with the Old Pulteney Coastal Series Port 46% The 1st in this series was the Pineau des Charentes 46% with the Port the 2nd.

Old Pulteney Port is the second expression in The Coastal Series. Matured in both Ruby Port Pipes and Ruby Port Barriques, which once held an iconic sweet, red, fortified wine native to the Douro Valley of northern Portugal. The sweet flavours of the wine pair perfectly with the briny notes The Maritime Malt is known for.

What did we think in our sniff & swish?

It began with a light teasingly sweet aroma – fruity with loads of apples! Nice and crisp! Followed on the palate with honey – dry yet joyful with a dash of cinnamon. And closed on a nice spice finish with a hint of salty minerals. Delicious!

And what would it set you back? Approx GBP 76.

We returned later in the day to indulge in the Old Pulteney 25 year 46%. This experience clearly fell into the category of “I can’t afford but DANG that’s good!” It was launched at GBP 500 and may be tricky to find at that price already!

Here’s what the folks at Old Pulteney have to say about it…

For a quarter of a century, casks of this rare expression of Old Pulteney Single Malt Scotch Whisky breathed the invigorating sea air of the Caithness coast. Sheltered from a fast-changing world by the darkened calm of a distillery warehouse, the spirit mellowed at its own steady pace, echoing the reassuring rhythm of its hometown port. Aged firstly in American oak, its spicy sweetness was later granted depth and colour by casks of Spanish oak. Elegant and charismatic, this wonderful whisky embodies both Wick’s spirit of endurance and Pulteney Distillery’s devotion to its craft.

What did we think?

On the nose, it started off a bit dusty yet wonderfully delicious – loads of creamy, toffee, warm tropical fruits, rich and revealing. Proudly offering a range of aromas from fruit to dark woods and much more! The palate was mouth-watering – the kind of supremely good cask management that leads to a well-rounded rewarding dram even at 25 years! It was rich, and full-bodied without being overwhelming. We were literally salivating as we rolled around the dark chocolate yuminess in our mouths. And the finish? Simply fabulous! Dry, rich, sweet.

PS… you see that sneaky hand reaching out for the pastel da nata? They were sinfully delicious! And a real draw to the booth.

Curious about other experiences with Old Pulteney?

And best of all? A chance to catch up with the amusing and knowledgable Stuart Baxter…

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A Mix of Malts – Highland explorations

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During our Schottland Whisky Forum weekend getaway in October, everyone brought an interesting bottle. There was a remarkable mix of malts – particularly from the Highlands!

On the 1st day I spent most of my time exploring whiskies from the Single Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), an exceptional elegant Glen Grant 5-year-old from 1975, and a special release from Deanston.

On our 2nd day, I focused on a range of Highland distilleries before shifting to peaty whiskies.

  • Jura “Anam na-h Alba” 9 year (19 Oct 20009 – 08 Apr 2019) Bourbon Hogshead Cask No 700993 58.1% bottle 276 of 279
  • Glenmorangie Midwinter Night’s Dram 43%
  • Edradour 2007 18 year Cask Strength (Nov 2007 / Jan 2021) 59.2% 1,362 Bottles
  • Old Pulteney 14 year (27 May 2008 / 9 Jun 2022) Cask No 24 initial maturation Refill Botto Bourbon Hogshead, finish 24 months Fresh Sherry Butt 56.8% Bottle 404 of 663 

So.. let’s start with the Highland from the 1st day… the Deanston…

Deanston Chronicles Edition 1 46.3%

I had no idea what to expect with this one. It had been a while since I tried an “OB” (Original Bottle) Deanston – most have been from independent bottlers. So I was curious to try – especially as it was a special release. I later learned it was a mix of four casks from four decades -1977 Whisky Refill, 1994 ex-Madeira, 2004 ex-Amontillado, and 2011 ex-Bourbon – wow!  

  • Nose – Incredibly fruity, fresh orchard fruits, some apricots, baked red apples, toffee, some vanilla, sweet spices, a bit peppery
  • Palate – Is that red wine tannins? Red apple peels? Some Lebkuchen? Swirl it around and catch a variety of flavours… hmm mmm?

What a curious yet interesting malt! Absolutely marvelous on the nose, it was a bit odd on the palate. However many were quite taken with it. 

Sometimes we have certain prejudices – I will admit that Jura just hasn’t been my kind of distillery dram. This is exactly why I thought – time to test if THIS would be the expression that changes my mind! Spoiler alert – it wasn’t!

Jura “Anam na-h Alba” 9 year (19 Oct 20009 – 08 Apr 2019) Bourbon Hogshead Cask No 700993 58.1%

  • Nose – VERY maritime, lots of fresh sea spray, some waxy elements, forest
  • Palate – The prick of a cask strength, direct with no depth
  • Finish – Some spice and that’s it 

Overall it did not impress and reminded me why I’m not such a Jura fan. 

After our recent reminder that Glenmorangie IS much more my style, I was curious to try one of their NAS expressions.

Glenmorangie Midwinter Night’s Dram 43%

  • Nose – Exactly as expected – a lovely light sherry dram, some orange joined by plum cake, with some nutty notes too
  • Palate – Soft, sweet, and creamy milk chocolate
  • Finish – A light spice with some ginger

It wasn’t a “stand-out” dram, instead just a proper palate pleaser. A nice transition from the disappointing Jura to even more interesting drams to come.

What more do we know? It was 1st released as a Limited Edition in 2015 and again for Christmas 2017, using Bourbon and Oloroso casks, partially finished in PX Sherry casks. 

My tasting companions were raving about the Edradour – so I simply had to join their experience! Edradour is known as a small distillery, devoted to traditional methods and producing some mighty fine results with some firm fans out there. 

Edradour 2007 18 year Cask Strength (Nov 2007 / Jan 2021) 59.2% 1,362 Bottles

  • Nose – Light fruit, loads of ripe plums, blossoms, honey, vanilla, shortbread, lemon sponge cake, 
  • Palate – Starts with a nice spice, some fruits – even tropical like papaya, waxy, red currents, nuts, a truly lovely balance, smooth
  • Finish – Light cinnamon and ginger, very soft and comforting til the end

This is one beautiful whisky – restrained and elegant. Well worth trying – classic and quality hand-in-hand. My scribbles also described this as a “snuggly whisky” which cues up a comfort dram. Fabulous!

After such an enjoyable experience, it was a tough dram to follow. Being a bit of an Old Pulteney fan, my eye was drawn to this Signatory bottle…

Old Pulteney 14 year (27 May 2008 / 9 Jun 2022) Cask No 24 initial maturation Refill Bourbon Hogshead, finish 24 months Fresh Sherry Butt 56.8% Bottle 404 of 663 

  • Nose – Quite pronounced sherry! That 2 years in Sherry Butts really came through in the aromas! With Sherry influence came all the “usual suspects” – Christmas pudding, lots of prunes, sweet spices, and more
  • Palate – Heavy and rounded
  • Finish – Full and long, closing on ginger snaps!

What a marvelous and powerful dram. I have a funny feeling this one could do with a drop or two of water too! 

Lest you think I was being a complete lush – the drops you see in the photos were all that was consumed. Literally, a small splash in the glass to tease out some impressions. With some, I also lingered, taking my time – like the lovely Edradour! All in all, I’m very appreciative both of the opportunity to meet fellow whisky explorers and spend a weekend discovering a dram or two together.

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Time to explore a new Old Pulteney Pineau des Charentes 46%

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We all have our favorites – particular distilleries that we are simply partial to… I’ll fully admit that Old Pulteney falls into this category for me! So when a “new” expression was released, I thought, why not?

New to the Old Pulteney range, this limited expression kicks off Old Pulteney’s new Coastal Series with plans to release new expressions each year – beginning with a no-age-statement finished in ex Pineau des Charentes wine casks.

I had originally intended to bring it from Deutschland to India, however, after an interesting tasting of several minis one May evening in Nurnberg, decided it would be nice to try an Old Pulteney! Happy I did….

Old Pulteney Coastal Series – Pineau des Charentes 46%

  • Nose – Yellow fruits, grassy meadow, warm honey, peach, soapy candle wax, tinned pineapple, and a bit of white wine spritzer
  • Palate – Also quite fruity, but then had a nice butter almond nuttiness, smooth with a piquant spice at the end… as it rolled around the palate, was even a hint of tobacco leaf
  • Finish – Slightly bitter, reminded of an Earl Grey tea

Not an everyday dram, but interesting. After the 1st tasting, I revisited it again a few weeks later… it grows on you however I have to admit I prefer the “classic” – give me an Old Pulteney 12 year or 17 year any day!

What do the folks at Old Pulteney have to say?

Old Pulteney Pineau des Charentes is a limited edition expression that has been created by firstly maturing in hand-selected American oak casks, before being transferred into ex-Pineau des Charentes casks, which have been handcrafted by using French oak.

Old Pulteney Pineau des Charentes offers a lighter, sweeter taste layered on the classic Old Pulteney base. The result is a beautiful sweetness that perfectly complements Old Pulteney’s signature salty flavour, delivering a wonderful dram.

And their official tasting notes?

  • Colour – Bronz with a pink hue
  • Nose – Fragrant and rich with honey sweetness and vanilla at the base. Intense fruitiness starts jammy and stewed and develops into candied oranges and sticky balsamic raisins. Hints of toasted spices and power pepper complete this stunning profile.
  • Taste – A lingering finish showcases notes of caramelized hazelnuts and ground spices, broadening in sweetness, and then drying ever so slowly towards a savoury finale of coastal minerality.

I purchased this bottle in November 2022 from WhskyFass for EUR 95.

Curious about other brushes with Old Pulteney

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Remarkable Gordon + Macphail Whisky Ranges

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Gordon & Macphail is in a class of their own – with a 125-year history – they are no mere “indie bottler”… With long-term relationships with distilleries, an impressive set-up of their own casks, legendary warehouses with an exceptional range of old and very rare whiskies, this is one area at any whisky show you shouldn’t miss!

So what did we try at the London Whisky Show?

We began with the Discovery range, a newer series launched to introduce accessible, affordable single malts to the world:

  • Green for ex-bourbon casks – Glenallachie 14 year 43% – This ex-bourbon cask was a nice contrast to the current GlenAllachie sherry or cask finish styles
  • Purple for ex-sherry casks – Bunnahabhain 11 year 43% – A solid expression
  • Grey/off-white for smokey/peaty – Caol Ila 13 year 43% – Skipped as was a bit early for peat!

We then progressed to the Gordon & Macphail’s Distillery Labels with Ardmore with a whiff of sea breeze, soft peat, and sweet!

From there, we got serious with their Connoisseurs Choice range, which has been a consistent series from Gordon & Macphail since 1968. We’ve tried many remarkable drams in this series which showcases various distillery spirits matured in Gordon & Macphail’s own barrels. At Whisky Live 2022, we tried:

We thought this would be the end of our journey…. however then our fabulous Gordon & Macphail’s guide shared a pair from their exceptionally rare Private Collection with:

Wow, wow, wow! What an amazing journey through some fabulous whiskies! And a very clear reminder of why Gordon & Macphail are worthy of slowing down and spending time exploring…

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London Whisky Show – Gordon + Macphail Connoisseurs Choice

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Next up in our Gordon & Macphail tastings at the London Whisky Show were offerings from their Connoisseurs Choice range…

We’ve enjoyed several very special whiskies from this range! Including those we tried in London Oct 2022…

Old Pulteney 23 year (2008/ 28 Apr 2022) Refill Bourbon Barrel Cask No. 17603801 56.6% (G&MP Connoisseurs Choice) Batch 22/101, 243 Bottles

  • Colour – Amber
  • Nose – Joy in a glass! Lovely citrus, honey then coconut, chocolate… shifting into apple sauce
  • Palate – Creamy, full, and luscious. Simply gorgeous
  • Finish – Heavy finish, sweet and lightly spicy
  • Water – Amps up the tropical elements like caramelized bananas

It was endlessly complex… absolutely fabulous! Let’s just say, it was everything I appreciate in Old Pulteney, even more exquisite. 

Our fabulous guide shared a refilled Hogshead, retailing for approx GBP 200. As for the official tasting notes? The label shares the following:

Grapefruit and lemon aromas give way to baked apples and freshly cut grass. Honey and banana flavours are balanced by cracked black pepper. A full finish with mixed nuts.

Would I agree? Absolutely!

Tormore 29 year (1993/ 30 May 2022) 1st fill Sherry Butt Cask 5053 54.5%(G&MP Connoisseurs Choice) Batch 22/109, 554 bottles

  • Colour – Rich dark burgundy
  • Nose – Oh wow! No question this Tormore was matured in an ex-sherry cask. Incredibly intense, rich marmalade, with a berry punch,
  • Palate – A proper, mature sherry, dark fruits, rich chocolate
  • Finish – Candied dried fruit, a dash of cinnamon, heavy, burnt molasses

This is the kind of dram that makes you want to slow down and savour… preferably while lounging on a comfy sofa, curled up with a cosy throw, a good book… and all the time in the world to simply enjoy.

Even after the glass was empty, it left such a beautiful aroma… it was a shame to have such a special whisky in the hustle and bustle of a whisky festival.

What about the official tasting notes? Here is what they have to say:

  • Nose – Stewed RED BERRIES complement VANILLA POD and subtle COCOA POWDER. MEDJOOL DATES give way to DARK TREACLE and notes of soft ANISEED.
  • Taste – BAKED APPLE intertwines with CINNAMON and GINGER SPICE. DARK CHOCOLATE leads to subtle CITRUS FRUIT and CHARRED OAK.
  • Finish – Full with lingering SUMMER BERRIES and soft HERBAL notes.

What did we try next? A pair from the rather remarkable and very rare Private Collection range!!

Curious about some earlier Connoisseurs Choice explorations? Here are a few favourites!

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Christening the new whisky cabinet with an Old Pulteney 12 year

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With the move to Nurnberg comes re-building a new whisky collection and finding new tasting companions.

My first move was to find a new whisky cabinet… and stumbled across this rather interesting piece of furniture which has a subtle cork exterior and “jatak” interior with mirrors and glass.

My next move was to see what ‘standards’ could be easily acquired locally… My eye spotted this familiar favourite and I couldn’t resist.

To say it wasn’t my first tryst with Old Pulteney is an understatement… this romance kicked off more than a decade ago and hasn’t abated.

A few memorable experiences with this expression include:

So what could casual sipping late 2019 to 2020 add? To be honest, just a reminder why I enjoy this whisky so much.

Here’s to you Nurnberg and my new collection!

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Dubai Dream Drams – Old Pulteney 17 year 46%

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I fully admit to enjoying the occasional Old Pulteney…

Currently the Old Pulteney 21 year is my evening sipping dram at our wee “cabana” in the country… the perfume of the fresh air combines with the fragrant fruits, spice, dash of maritime salt of the whisky in the most relaxing way.

Whereas I recently finally finished the last drops of the Old Pulteney 12 year in Mumbai, having enjoyed its warm apple crumble yumminess.

And while I don’t have a bottle of the 17 year conveniently gracing my whisky cabinet, there is something about this particular expression that brings us back. I’ve had a few opportunities to sip and savour this expression over a few years:

Alas it is now archived and increasingly difficult to track down… so if you do come across it, do take advantage of the opportunity and enjoy!

Old Pulteney 17 year 46%

  • Nose – A beautiful bouquet of flowers, then cherries, a hint of salt, lemon cake
  • Palate – Smooth as silk, sweet, a little fresh tobacco leaf, some citrus
  • Finish – Lovely, light and lingering

What a delight to revisit…. and in such terrific company.

A few other drams our amazing Dubai host shared included:

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Highland Salt – Old Pulteney Dunnet Head 46%

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We continued with the Old Pulteney… And I have to admit this is one I’d had in my cupboard since the summer of 2017.

I remember picking up the Old Pulteney at Heathrow airport. It was a morning flight and yet I did my “due diligence” sampling different drams at the World of Whiskies. What I won’t do for our Mumbai tasting groups!

The whisky is part of their Lighthouse series named for the Dunnet Head lighthouse built in 1831 by Robert Stevenson (Grandfather of the author Robert Louis Stevenson).

And what did our Whisky Ladies think?

Old Pulteney Dunnet Head 46%

  • Nose – Bright oranges, a bit musty initially, then revealed a lovely sea salt, some vanilla, more citrus and even a hint of cocoa
  • Palate – Yummy!! Has real substance and amazingly well-balanced with sweet spices, fruit – especially pear, lightly smokey with that caramel salt too.
  • Finish – Nice, long and lingering

There was no doubt this whisky was a hit with our Whisky Ladies. Many remarked on how it was sooooo tasty!

Here’s what the folks over at Old Pulteney have to say:

  • Appearance – Old Brass.
  • Nose – Warming and sweet, with notes of spices, bitter chocolate and a whiff of a freshly varnished deck. Lemon and creamy vanilla overtones offer balance and brightness.
  • Taste – Rich fruit cake, sultanas and salted caramel give way to a touch of leather and fragrant floral top note; a long smooth finish.

Other Old Pulteney’s sampled include:

What else did we try that evening?

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Whisky Ladies “Bar Bottle” – Glenmorangie, Old Pulteney, Compass Box, Ardmore

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We had different plans for this evening – a much anticipated combined night with our Bombay Malt & Cigar gents… However it was not do be so what to do instead?

We thought why not reach into our bars and see what was available to share…

Here is what we unearthed:

It turned out every bottle could be purchased (at one time) at duty-free and yet each was certainly a cut above the standard travel retail fare.

It also just so happened that each had a touch of smoke… from a mere hint with the Old Pulteney and Glenmorangie to a more pronounced puff of peat with the Compass Box Great King Street Glasgow Blend and Armore Triple Wood Peat.

In an unplanned twist, all three single malts were also from Highland distilleries… with the delightful Compass Box blend a terrific foil with some highland whiskies too.

Overall it proved to be a most enjoyable quartet and a good reminder to not dismiss what you may find when perusing airport wares – at least in some select airports around the world!

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Old Pulteney 17 year 46% revisited

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Sometimes it is nice to be reminded of how much you enjoy a particular distillery and its whiskies. We had just such an opportunity with our Scottish “classic” evening…

Naturally half the fun was tasting completely blind with the reveal only at the end. Here is what we found…

Old Pulteney 17 year 46%

  • Colour – Copper
  • Nose – Sweet perfume, floral, vanilla, a touch of salty brine, chocolate, butterscotch, so familiar and inviting, toffee, some gentle sherry influence. After the 1st sip we found marzipan, almonds, light sweet citrus like a lemon cake. As it opened even more, there was a hint of smoke. As we let it sit even longer, the citrus shifted into a lively orange peel oil.
  • Palate – Soft sweet spice with some salt. A lovely complexity, sweet lime, lightly bitter with a subtle touch of tobacco leaf, a wisp or puff of smoke, so beautifully balance
  • Finish – Ends on a sweet note, gentle spice, really quite beautiful, a bit of liquorice
  • Water – Mellows it out… some preferred with and some without

We all really enjoyed this whisky and found it quite lovely, with a “feel good” character. While exceedingly easy to drink, it also had complexity and kept evolving. We all were confident that it must be Scottish and clearly well crafted. It also had all the hallmarks of an ex-Bourbon cask with a bit of ex-Sherry too.

A few of us kept remarking how there was something so completely familiar about it. We settled on Highland, one even mentioned Old Pulteney, another an old style Balvenie.

And our reaction to the reveal that it was an Old Pulteney 17 year?

Delight! An excellent reminder of how this whisky is simply one good dram.

Naturally this was one of many enjoyable evenings with Old Pulteney of which a few included:

Our original tasting group took an evening with a classic Scottish trio:

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