Old Pulteney 1995/2010 Gordon & MacPhail
Old Pulteney is my first true whisky love. Even though I had been casually drinking whisky for a couple of years at that time, it was the Old Pulteney 17 that really showed me how wonderful single malt whisky can be. So its fair to say that Old Pulteney has a special place in my whisky heart.
You don’t often find independent releases of Old Pulteney, and the one I’m reviewing today is already from five years ago. It is a botteling from a first fill sherry cask by Gordon & MacPhail,
Old Pulteney 1995/2010 (60,5%, Gordon & MacPhail, C#1505)
Nose: The trademark saltiness of Old Pulteney is definitely here. Then the sherry takes over. Coffee, varnish and old wood. Coconut too. After a while the aromas get sweeter with plums and fudge.
Taste: Salt and pepper on the arrival. But they quickly make place for plums, chocolate and dark caramel. Also some almond paste and mocha. Some sharp edges here, but highly enjoyable.
Finish: Chocolate, a lot of it. Long and satisfying.
Rating: 88
My first sherried Old Pulteney is a winner. Dark and intense with a nice coastal edge.
Thanks to Edwin for the sample.
Thijs is a spirits writer and accredited liquorist from The Netherlands. He runs the blog Words of Whisky and contributes to a number of Dutch and international publications.
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