Old Pulteney is called the “Maritime Malt” and lies in the town of Wick, the northernmost distillery on the mainland of Scotland. Founded in 1826, the distillery was remote enough early on to rely on the sea for the movement of its whisky. Named after the local founder of the Pulteneytown area of Wick, Sir William Pulteney, The distillery closed in 1930 for around 20 years but has been in production ever since, often with a revolving selection of award-winning single malts. The popular 21 year expression was discontinued recently and a new core range was introduced. This Old Pulteney 13 Year offering is a single cask selection made by Ace Spirits.
Distillery: Pulteney
Region: Highland
Age: 13 years
Strength: 55.2%
Price: $119.99 Edit: $99.99
Barrel: distilled 2004, bottled 2018; cask no. 224, bottle 205 of 239
Location: Wick
Nose: Apple, pear, vanilla, floral, suntan lotion, pineapple
Palate: Cinnamon, vanilla, creme brule, pineapple
Finish: Vanilla, brine
Comments: A few drops of water to take the cask strength edge off might be needed to suit the individual palate, but it can be perfectly delightful right out of the bottle, depending. Pay attention, as single cask selections of scotch are much rarer to see in the US, especially away from the coasts.
Adam – Early on in my scotch journey, I distinctly remembered trying an Old Pulteney 21, partially because it was one of the few affordable drams that old on the menu. I don’t have a clear memory of the taste but for whatever reason I haven’t returned to this distillery since then. When I saw a single cask available, I decided it was the perfect time to take a chance and was not disappointed. While I kick myself that I picked up the bottle used in our tasting a month before the price dropped into a friendlier tier, I don’t feel too swindled regardless. As I hoped, this is a fantastic summer dram full of fruits and sweetness and a little crisp spice very reminiscent of cinnamon. I have a feeling this same scotch at, say, 40% abv might feel too weak for my enjoyment, even though I usually vehemently disagree the “cask strength is the best/only strength” crowd. My pleasure in this is not in the strength, however, but rather the potency of complex flavors that boldly dance across your tongue like some highland jig. The age gives it a few rough edges but far less than I’ve seen in similarly-aged whiskies and, if I’m being honest, I like those fruits and vanillas and flowers to have some grit among them. The finish from the palate doesn’t hang around for long but the warmth persists in your chest for a while, which I appreciate. Am curious to see if this Old Pulteney 13 holds up or changes in colder seasons.
Jenny – It smells like drunken bananas. It makes me think of the beach and suntan lotion. I like this better with water because it cuts the heat and get the sweet undertones the heat covers.
Meghan – The sweetness kind of hits you like a load of bricks. Bricks of bruleed pineapple and marzipan. At full strength, it’s tongue tingling like Red Hots candy – the feel of cinnamon without any actual real cinnamon flavor. The finish is a bit antiseptic in a way that reminds of me bug spray and suntan oil. Although I’m positive I never purposely ate either of those items, I’m also fairly certain that I ended up with them both in my mouth accidentally by the time I was 8. If you’ve read other of my reviews, you’ll know I had the old fashioned kind of early childhood that people wax nostalgic about what with the drinking from the hose and skinned knees and all that stuff. So, when something reminds me of the feel of Deet on my lips or the smell of Coppertone #2, there maybe something to it. This Old Pulteney 13 is my first from the distillery and it tastes like summer. Not the summer of nostalgia where everything is cast in a golden light, but real summer, with bug spray and Band-Aids, sticky with toasted marshmallows and red Kool-Aid, and the ever-lingering note of charcoal and lighter fluid. Is it beautiful or perfect? Not a bloody chance. But it’s real and right now, the way things should be accepted and appreciated.
It smells like drunken bananas.
Michael – The note that really stood out to me is the cinnamon. The nose has a spiced pie or a fruit pie or an apple pie, on the palate is a cinnamon hard candy, like a Red Hots. I really enjoyed it. I think the high alcohol content contributes to that spiciness.
Peter – The Old Pulteney 13 is really drinkable for being so strong at cask strength. It’s smooth and fun.
Mary-Fred – This reminds me of going to the beach.
Caitlin – It smells like when you’re driving down a road in the country in a convertible and the windows are down and all you can smell is the lilacs on the side of the ride. With some water, it tastes like a melted popsicle.
Ben – The Old Pulteney 13 smells like something is baking in the next room. If you hold it in your mouth, it wraps around your tongue. It is candy-coated.
