Tasting notes·Pulteney

Old Pulteney 18 Years

The Pulteney distillery from the Scottish Highlands offers a relatively broad and high-quality core range at acceptable prices. In today's review, we have "The Maritime Malt", matured for 18 years in ex-bourbon casks and Spanish oak casks. Spoiler: A really nice Christmas whisky!

The panel

Marcel
86
Sascha
82

Mean 84.0 · spread 4

Value for money 3/5

Distillery
Pulteney
Type
Single Malt
Region
Highlands
Country
Scotland
Age
18 years
Strength
46% ABV
Character
spicy

Tasting

Nose

The 18-years matured single malt whisky is a festive delight with flavours of Christmas biscuits and sweet vanilla, accompanied by a hint of cinnamon and a seductive sugar glaze. The present, tart oak adds depth, while chocolate-coated nuts add an exquisite note. Later, a harmonious blend of mango and peach unfolds.

Palate

The Old Pulteney offers a balanced and multi-faceted experience. Light spicy notes of cloves and chocolate, accompanied by toffee, oak and subtle honey herald the Christmas festivities. The vanilla adds a pleasant complexity. The flavour is peppery-tingling and tangy, the texture oily with a dry accent.

Finish

The medium-long finish fulfils the promise of a salty, maritime character with white pepper. A tingling mouthfeel that hints at age leaves a sweet film on the palate.

Verdicts

Marcel

A whisky that enriches the festive season with a warm embrace of vanilla and Christmas cookies – the Old Pulteney 18 Year is pure drinking pleasure with a maritime flair. It continually surprises with sweet and spicy nuances that invite you to sip and savor. A true Christmas hero that never gets boring!

Sascha

The Old Pulteney 18 Year impresses with its balanced structure and the harmonious interplay of sweet vanilla notes, robust oak, and a subtle salty finish. The balance between maritime elements and complex spice tones makes it a technically solid, if not outstanding, single malt from the Highlands. For lovers of well-composed, medium-bodied whiskies, it’s a recommendable choice.

What it is worth

We do not yet hold bottle-level auction results — that sits behind Whisky Hunter’s authenticated feed. What follows is the market for Pulteney as a whole, which sets the weather for this bottling without pricing it.

£1£10£100£1k£10k2005200820112014201720202023

Latest mean bid £113 across 77 lots · 2024-08

Source

Tasting note and scores by WHISKY:EDITION — tasted by Marcel and Sascha, published 2023-12-26.