Ships Ahoy….Old Pulteney 17 Puts the Open Sea in Your Glass

I’ve had several Old Pulteneny’s outside the core range, but the heart of the distillery, its seaside fishing village DNA, comes through in the core range which consists of the 12, 17, 21 and the relatively new 35, which I recently tasted at The Whisky Show.

Photo Credit: Old Pulteney on Facebook

In my review of the Old Pulteney 21, I mentioned the curious shape of the sawed off still, and the possible effect it might have on the spirit. Also worth mentioning is the fact that the local council in Wick imposed a prohibition on the sale of alcohol in the parish in 1922, and by 1930 the distillery had to close. It didn’t reopen until 1951.

This dram was shared with me by my friend Ran, a total Pulteney buff, and a great whisky aficionado! Slainte!

 

Old Pulteney 17 (46% ABV, NCF, NC)

Appearance: Light straw, slow legs and there are a lot of droplets that remain on the sides.

Nose: Vanilla, brine, pepper, honey and notes of orange-ginger marmalade.

Palate: The sweetness of honey comes in first, then a wave of salt with pepper with notes of vanilla and light citrus.

Linger: The salt and pepper divide up your mouth, with salt taking over the tongue and the pepper owning your throat. It’s a fascinating finish.

Conclusion

This is the rough sea salt and crushed peppercorns you rub on your steak before popping it on the grill.

This might be the best of the cores, but my jury is still out on that  🙂

 

 

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