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Old Pulteney
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Old
Pulteney distillery is the most northerly of
all those on the Scottish mainland and is situated in Wick,
Caithness.
The
distillery was founded in 1826 by James Henderson and
eventually sold to James Watson & Co. in 1920 who quickly sold
it onwards to John Dewar & Sons in 1923. They also didn't keep
it for very long as it was taken over again just two years later
by DCL who then decided to close it in 1930. It lay dormant
until 1951 when a Banff Lawyer bought it, reopened it and then
sold it to Hiram Walker in 1955 who, thankfully, renovated the
distillery in 1958. |
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The
distillery was taken over by Allied Breweries in 1961
who then went through various transformations themselves as they
changed into Allied Lyons and Allied Domecq until finally,
in 1995 they were taken over by Inver
House Distillers who remain the owners today.
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On
the left we see Malcolm Waring
the Manager of Pulteney Distillery, showing us the Spirit
Safe.
General whisky characteristics: Fresh, maritime, solid,
unpeated. |
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Glass:
Glencairn
Colour:
Clear, just like water
Nose:
Aromatic malt and yeast with some honey and
earthy characteristics.
Palate:
The honey and earthy characteristics of the nose
carry through onto the palate making this quite a rich or heavy
new spirit, unlike the light grappa-styles of some other
distilleries.
Overall Impression:
A quite different new spirit with its solid
earthy style, but most enjoyable! |
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Old Pulteney,
12y,
40% ABV
Typical cost of
this bottle; €€€€€ |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour: Gold
with a hint of copper
Nose:
Those maritime reminisces slowly come to the fore
with salt and brine over heather and moss.
Palate:
Everything the nose suggests with an extra hint
of smoke, followed by very faint violets in the aftertaste.
Overall Impression:
Old Pulteney tends to be ignored by many and not
considered in the mainstream of purchases, but for me, this is a
good and slightly different maritime whisky which deserves more
credit than it tends to receive. |
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Glass:
Glencairn
Colour:
Yellow gold, 9 carat
Nose:
Immediately quite a fruity nose with malt,
morning coffee biscuit and a light hint of plum. This really is
a good solid nose and reminiscent of the new make that I
previously tasted.
Palate:
Smooth and slightly oily as it initially spreads
across the palate and then opens to include that biscuit, but
it's really quite a subtle whisky and surprisingly includes
light redcurrant as it heads into the finish.
With 3 drops of
water: The whisky opens into what I can only describe as
"maritime light liquorice".
Finish:
Slightly dry with some lingering biscuity fruit.
Overall Impression:
A good solid whisky which I still believe is
under-rated or ignored by many.
Revisited during January 2011 thanks to Lukasz of Alembic Comms.
Ltd
Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour: Rich
(21ct) yellow gold
Nose: My
first surprise here was that the fruit had quite a citrus tang
on the nose, somewhere between orange and lime. Then came the
malt along with some vanilla and finally a hint of plum, quite
similar to Chinese plum wine.
Palate: Very
smooth and slightly oily with biscuit, malt and that hint of
plum.
Finish: Dry
with plain biscuit and hints of generic fruit.
Overall
Impression: I still find this a good standard or
introductory-level whisky. |
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Glass:
Glencairn
Colour: Very
light and pale
Nose:
Fresh, very light wood with also a hint of
liquorice root. This is an extremely subtle whisky.
Palate:
Smooth and creamy, but the light subtleness of
the nose transcends the palate although a faint hint of fruit
also makes an appearance.
With 3 drops of
water: Apple and pear are added to the nose whilst the
palate is enhanced a little more.
Finish:
Medium ot long with more gentle fruit which now includes
honeydew melon.
Overall Impression:
Light and slightly
fruity,
it's very nice, very good!
Revisited during January 2011 thanks to Lukasz of Alembic Comms.
Ltd
Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Pale
yellow / straw
Nose:
Very
fresh and also initially very light with hints of wood and what
I can only liken to one of those little tubs of Italian chopped
herbs. These grow slightly in intensity after a couple of
minutes.
Palate:
Extremely smooth with a creamy mouth-feel and lots of summer
fruits and berries.
Finish:
Long
and fruity with a style of apricot, peach and melon.
Overall Impression: It
may be light and initially subtle, but this turns into a quite 'big'
whisky which I still really like.
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Old Pulteney,
17y,
46% ABV
Refill bourbon
casks
Typical cost of
this bottle; €€€€€
Reviewed (blind) as
part of MMA 2011 |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour: Pale yellow
gold
Nose:
Fresh
and herbal, with almost a mintiness. A hint of lime. Fresh green
tea?
Palate:
Light
and fresh, this is leafy and slightly citrus at the same time.
The fruit expands with time in the glass. It has a very creamy
mouth-feel too.
Finish: Long and
lightly fruity.
Overall Impression:
Excellent, a very good whisky.
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Glass:
Glencairn
Colour: 21
carat gleaming gold
Nose:
Initially a musty nuttiness followed quickly by
the inclusion of freshly polished wood, but lightly so, not
heavy and waxy. Finally, a slight spiciness appears with a
tingle in the nostrils.
Palate:
Although Fino Sherry casks only make up a third
of this bottling, they really are predominant on the palate as
they partner a very pleasant cocktail of fruit and spices.
With 3 drops of
water: This Pulteney grows immensely on both nose and palate
and also gains a smooth creaminess which makes for a delightful
experience.
Finish: Long
as it grows and lingers with a slight dryness.
Overall Impression:
A real surprise with that Fino influence but
it's good, very good! |
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Glass:
Glencairn
Colour: Very
light gold, pale yellow.
Nose:
We begin with smooth and gentle malt and a
suggestion of yeast, then after 3-4 minutes a quite dry,
slightly bitter fruit comes to the fore. I suggest something
along the lines of green apple or star fruit.
Palate:
Once again very smooth, gentle and subtle but the
fruit is no longer green apple or star fruit, it has more
tropical depth which suggests some papaya along with a hint of
redcurrant.
Finish: Long
with that fruit lingering gently on the palate.
Overall Impression:
This really is a subtle whisky and much lighter
in colour, nose and palate than its 30 years may suggest, but
nevertheless it's a very good whisky, just allow it a little
time and you'll not be disappointed. |
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Old Pulteney,
1983,
21y,
46% ABV
Typical cost of
this bottle; €€€€€
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Nose: A Scottish golf
course overlooking the Atlantic coast.
Palate: Smooth and
creamy, peaches and ice cream.
With 3 drops of water: The nose doesn't really change,
but the palate becomes more salty, really bringing out the
maritime character which was initially promised in the nose.
Overall Impression: An
excellent dram which I thoroughly enjoyed, especially with the
water added. |
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Glass:
Glencairn
Colour:
Pale yellow
Nose:
Fruity and earthy but with the addition of some peat.
Palate:
Wick
has just been moved across Scotland to become an Atlantic
coastal town as this is most definitely a Pulteney being
savoured by an open bonfire on an Atlantic beach. It's rich and
wholesome with fruit, salt,. sea, wood and peat.
Finish: Long
peat.
Overall Impression:
Surely different, positively excellent! |
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Old Pulteney,
WK499, 52% ABV
Isabella Fortuna
Typical cost of
this bottle; €€€€€ |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
9ct
Gold
Nose:
Initially slightly sweet with vanilla, melon and
heather blossom. AFter some minutes an aroma of fine soft
Italian leather develops.
Palate:
Begins with vanilla then tingles with slightly
peppery green apple and a hint of leather.
With 4 drops of
water: Nose is more intense with lots more flora. The palate
tingles with light wood.
With 4 more drops
of water: Some maritime elements of sea air, salt and jetty
appear on the nose, whereas the palate is now softer and more
gentle with more fruit.
With 4 more drops
of water: Much more maritime nose whilst the palate is filled
with heather and light wood.
Finish: Long,
even longer with water.
Overall Impression:
An excellent Old Pulteney with a great
character, perhaps even Caithness personnified. |
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Old Pulteney,
WK209,
46% ABV
Named after the
herring fishing boat "Good Hope"
Typical cost of
this bottle: Currently unannounced, but expected; €€€€€
Picture is a "mock-up"
of presentation from distillery |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Rich
gold / light oak
Nose:
My first impression here is proabably quite
suitable to the WK209 herring boat itself as I'm drawn
immediately to the idea of the bilge pump-room,
with a vivid
image of oil and other debris floating around in slightly stale
sea-water, although this could possibly also be located under an
old pier thanks to the inclusion of old wood aromas. There's
even the rubbery presence of a dinghy too.
Palate:
Extremely smooth and creamy with lots of fruit
which I will describe as peach, papaya and something quite red,
or even blackberry. That rubberiness from the nose seems to have
turned into a hint of peat on the palate, but only a very slight
one. Is there a dry sherry in here too? It tastes quite so.
With 4 drops of
water:
A much
improved nose as the bilge pumps have dispersed to leave wood,
more fruitiness and just a smidgen of light smoke. The palate
seems to have an extra side order of peppered vanilla.
With 4 more drops
of water:
Why am
I suddenly transported into a Chinese kitchen? Could it be
steaming rice, perhaps even a suggestion of sea-weed, maybe
aromas of sweet & sour sauce ..? As for the palate the
pepperiness is enhanced and the fruit is now slightly bitter (pear
& star-fruit?) and it's also a little drier.
Finish: Long,
even longer with water,
but also drier with water.
Overall Impression:
I'm not too much of
a fan of the initial bilge-pump effect on the nose,
but I was pleased to see that disappear with just a few drops of
water and turn into a better experience, but I still think it's
a slightly uncoordinated whisky. Given the chance I'd buy a
bottle to test it further as I still feel it has promise. |
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Independent
Bottlers (IB) |
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G&M, Old Pulteney,
1990-2002, 59.4% ABV
Cask Series; Cask
5471
Typical cost of
this bottle; €€€€€ |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Deep
rich amber
Nose:
Richly scorched wood, some molasses, dried
currants with a suggestion of wild mushrooms and even hints of
toasted marzipan.
Palate:
An immediate explosion of peppery marzipan and
well polished wood. This becomes more toasted towards the
finish.
Finish:
Very
long with dry polished wood and slightly peppery fruit.
Overall Impression:
Amazingly different, I love this one! |
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A few more
distillery photos from Whisky Emporium |
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