I opened this series on teenage single malt whiskies with two bottles, the Glencadam 15 and the Glen Scotia 15, which I have enjoyed regularly. It was a great opportunity to revisit a couple of favourites in a more structured review format, but I wasn’t exactly exploring new whiskies or challenging my taste. Today’s review of the Old Pulteney 15 gives me a chance to revisit a distillery which I enjoyed during my early days but rapidly moved beyond. And, pretty much ignored since then. And the reason for that is a mixture of peer pressure and evolving tastes. Going back might be a good way to see if that was the right decision.
TL:DR: The mellow side of maritime single malts.
Score: 6, good stuff
A little whisky flashback
Old Pulteney 12 was my first exposure to the distillery, right at the beginning of my journey into exploring single malts more seriously. I probably came across it looking for an example of beginners’ whiskies exclusively aged in ex-Bourbon casks. The suggestion probably came from mainstream media (this will make sense in a moment), rather than the online whisky community. I even reviewed that 12-year-old soon after starting this blog.
Reading that review today is slightly embarrassing, as many initial efforts are. So I’ll be kind and admit it was a post definitely written by a newbie. Not that I make any claim of being an expert, but my taste has evolved in spades in the 18 months between that post and today. And, having tried some of that 12 recently, my vote today would be de less complimentary (not terrible but closer to a 5 than a 6).
I bought this 15 shortly after the 12. Then I started spending more time online with the broader whisky community. And I quickly discovered a lot of ill feelings towards Pulteney.
Inver House & how to lose your fan base
A lot of that ill feeling came from Inver House’s (the distillery owners) decision, in 2017, to discontinue the 17 and 21 and replace them with younger editions – Old Pulteney 15 (which I am about to review) and the 18. But that was not all. Many complained that the 12, always a 4% chill-filtered entry-level bottling, had lost its signature maritime character and overall decreased in quality. Discovering the back story had certainly conditioned me. It didn’t change my opinion of the whisky as such, but it did divert my attention away from Pulteney. Why invest my attention in a brand which did not care about the opinion of a group which had loudly sung its praises? And so this Old Pulteney 15 year old found its way to the back of the cabinet, before I remembered about it for this review.
Inver House are at it again, unfortunately for us drinkers, changing the lineup of another two of their distilleries, Knockdhu (makers of AnCnoc) and Speyburn. Only this time it is not a change in lineup but rather a move to transform their 46% integrity bottled whiskies into 40% chill-filtered ones. This piece of news, a few months old by now, has expectedly caused some stir among fans of the two distilleries, including a direct petition to the owners to stop the move. Count me among those very disappointed by the decision. I don’t enjoy wishing declining sales to any distillery (ok, maybe most), but this is one case where I hope a decline in sales might encourage a reversal of the decision.
But now, let’s get to the review of the Old Pulteney 15
Old Pulteney 15 year old
Specs
Price paid: €72.88
Lot/bottled date: R19/5001 (2019)
ABV: 46%
Natural colour: Not stated (see below)
Non-chill filtered: Yes (but you really must want to find out, see below)
Casks Used: Initially in second-fill American oak ex-bourbon casks, then in first-fill Spanish oak casks (I assume Oloroso).
Tasting Notes
Colour: A rich gold hue. Hard to say if it is natural or not. It might be the Spanish cask influence or a bit of caramel colouring. I suspect it is the latter. Interestingly, the liquid in the bottle shows some clearly visible fine particles, which makes me at least consider the possibility that this is non-chill filtered. I know I will sound like a broken record, but is it too much to ask to have the info on added colour and filtration on the label? P.S. After writing this review, I managed to find the box this bottle came in. It is indeed non-chill filtered, but the information is written in such a small font and in such a hard-to-find position that it is extremely easy to miss. Seriously, Pulteney, why?
Nose: Pleasantly fruity immediately comes to mind. There are ripe orchard fruits, some orange, vanilla, some pastry, but also a noticeable lungful of maritime breeze. The Sherry cask impact is mild but noticeable with milk chocolate, some nuttiness and spice – nutmeg and cinnamon. It leaves an impression of a relatively simple dram, but a very pleasant one. Complexity doesn’t have to be the name of the game.
Taste & Finish: It has a pleasant mouthfeel, medium and warming. The taste is less fruity than the nose and more influenced by the casks. The spices are at the front – ginger, cinnamon and a hint of white pepper- then oak, malted barley, pastrynotes, apple, lemon rind, and some salinity.
The finish is medium-long, slightly bitter and drying, with orchard fruit and yellow stone fruit, wet pebbles, oak, and a little chocolate.
Score*: 6, Good Stuff.
Some whiskies make you stand up to attention and whiskies that are simply enjoyable in their pleasantly straightforward nature. This Old Pulteney 15 falls perfectly into the latter category. It is the sort of dram I would pour in my glass when I want to avoid over-analysing what I am drinking, but still want a quality whisky. It is certainly closer to Old Pulteney’s chosen moniker of “maritime malt” than the 12 year old is. Not terribly so frankly, there are several whiskies with a much stronger maritime character that come to mind, but still, that character is clearly there. So while it might not be THE only one, it is a great example of the milder side of maritime malts, if you will.
* Scores are based on the scoring scale used by Dramface, slightly modified to allow half-points
Interested in my take on a specific whisky style? Check the full Journey here and jump to the relevant Chapter.
After writing my tasting notes, I always find it interesting to look at other opinions. Here are a few other reviews of the Old Pulteney 15 I enjoyed:
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