A waxy, fresh, absolutely maritime Old Pulteney

When tidying up my sample drawer, and at the same time planning the next few blogs until my long summer break, I stumbled upon an Old Pulteney. As a firm believer in regionality in whisky, I want to offer some variety between the spots on the Scottish map, or even go worldwide. With Old Pulteney we find ourselves in Wick, for what used to be the most northerly distillery on mainland Scotland. With the arrival of Wolfburn in Thurso more than 10 years ago, and now also a younger cub named 8 Doors Distillery in John O’Groats, this title is out of hands. What remains for the Pulteney Distillery, is a long and proud heritage. The operation is active since 1826, so coming up on two centuries, which is an exclusive club to be in. Ownership is in hands of Inver House. Standard releases like the 12 years old and the 17 years are held in high esteem for its maritime and fresh character.

Old Pulteney 2004, bottled at 55 % abv for Premium Spirits

Makeup: Matured in a bourbon cask with the number 235, producing 240 bottles when this was put into glass in 2020, making this roughly a 16 years old. Bottled for Belgian importer Premium Spirits.

General impressions: The maritime malt is true to its name! Underneath the abundance of fresh vanilla you can find sea-weathered rope cables. Close your eyes and you can see old steel ships rocking against a quay in – why not – an old fisher’s town like Wick. Terroir if you ever asked for it. The taste surprises me by being very gently and overtly sweet. Keep it on the tongue for a while, and the wood spices come out to play. Lots of lemon notes too, without getting too sour. Very impressive balance for a single cask. The maritime character is never far away, but best noticeable at the finish.

Water brings out a slight hint of petrichor, making this Old Pulteney ever more interesting. There is a distinct waxiness in this single malt, making it a far relative of Clynelish, down south in Brora on the same coastline. With these few drops of water, I enjoy even more the sweetness that reminds me of this candy wood you could chew on for hours, making it a pulpy mess. 

Conclusion: You would be forgiven mistaking this for a middle aged Clynelish, and that is about the highest compliment you can get. The commendable thing here is also; this whisky will please a novice as much as an experienced drinker. Well done, Premium Spirits!

Score: 88 points

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