Whisky and other wonderful things

Nose: Sea. Fruits, peaches, perhaps, with a hint of dried apricots.

Palate: Warmly spicy. Slight bitterness. Heathery honey.

Finish: Longish, with heather and honey and a slight bitterness.

Comments: When I found that honey, my mind went: “Oh, yes!” Still, on the whole it’s “just” a good dram, not all that exceptional.

Score: 7 out of 10

For a long thread we’ve got going on the NWML forum I need to determine which of three whiskies I like the best and let the others guess. Well, it’s a good excuse for a dram or two. I picked three Pulteneys from the cupboard:

#1: Old Pulteney 1990, OB limited edition bottled 2008, 46%

Nose: Caramel apples, spicy and a little peppery. With water: Wood and vegetation. Lemon and green apples.

Palate: Spice and warmth. Warm leather. Pine needles on the finish.

Comment: A very nice dram, but I’ve had better Pulteneys.

Score: 7.5 out of 10

#2: Old Pulteney dist 25.10.1993 bot. 16.05.2007, 59,9% Gordon & MacPhail, Cask 2402

First fill sherry butt.

I first tried this a while ago with a cold coming and noted:

Nose: The first impression is very closed, markedly sherryish, but not much more. Even with a healthy dash of water I can’t get much out of it. However, though both nostrils are open at the moment, they have been clogged up during the day, so my nose might be at fault rather than the whisky’s.

Palate: Well, the cask has not overwhelmed the alchohol, this needs water! Without water my first thought is “champagnebrus” (a kind of Norwegian soft-drink). After that a clear sherry note. With water, more wood, something juniper-like (the wood, not the berry). I also find heather and a hint of something smoky, giving assosciations of heath and recently quenched fire. Chocolate and nuts on the finish, which is long. Some sweetness, too, candied sugar, perhaps.

Conclusion: Disappointing nose, wonderful palate. Less sherry-punch than other bottlings I’ve tasted from Pulteney first fill sherry.

Score: 8.5 out of 10 (assuming my nose is at fault, I may adjust later)

Trying it again, I still find the nose a tad closed without water, but this time water helps:

Nose: I now find lemon and apples, dark chocolate and orange.

So I’ll stick to the 8.5 score.

#3: Old Pulteney 12 years OB (standard) which I like, but it’s a little simple in this company. Might write up proper notes at some point.

The winner, then, is number 2.

Nose: Fireplace, heat, smoke and ashes. Something a little tart and fruity, perhaps green apples. Vegation, salt. With water malt and hay appear, along with orange sherbet and possibly camphor.

Palate: Unexpectedly sharp, salt, timid sweetness, baked apples. With water it settles down and acquires a tinge of spice and menthol.

Aftertaste: Medium long, with orange and menthol.

Score: 7.5 out of 10

Conclusion: One of the better drams for everyday wear.

Bottle no. 11.

Nose: Dusty lemon drops in a bowl in an attick warmed by the sun. That is: Dust, sweetness, heat and lemon.

Palate: Herring cask! Ok, perhaps not, but I find barbequed fish and meat – surf and turf. Burned sugar as well.

Comments: Nose og palate are not exactly in agreement, but as neither are unpleasant, it doesn’t matter so much. I couldn’t find any “peat” in this with the best of will, other than that vague note of barbeque. Not bad, but somewhat disappointing, I’ve had much better single casks from Old Pulteney.

Score: 7 out of 10

First fill sherry butt.

Nose: The first impression is quite closed, an obvious sherry-influence but not much else. Even with a liberal splash of water it doesn’t give too much away. Granted, my nose is clear due to nasal drops, but I still have a cold. It might, therefore, be that my nose is at fault rather than the whisky.

Palate: No overpowering of the alchohol by the sherry butt in this case, this needs water! Without water the first thing I think of is “champagnebrus” (a Norwegian soft drink). After that: Sherry. Water opens some woody notes, juniper, I think (the wood, not the berries). Heather, too. A little peat. I get an image of mountains in autumn and a recently put out fire. Chocolate and nuts on the finish, which is long. Sweetness as well.

Comments: Disappointing nose, lovely palate. Less sherry impact than my previous experience with first fill sherry bottlings of Old Pultney.

Score: 8.5 out of 10 (assuming the lack of nose is not the whisky’s fault)

Old Pulteney dist. 15.10.1990, bot. 26.05.2006, Gordon & MacPhail, cask 5469
59%, 1st fill sherry

Colour: Dark amber towards burnt sugar.

Nose: A hint of rubber, dark chocolate, coffee essence, christmas pudding, burnt sugar.

Palate: Liquorice, burnt rubber, coffee – more of everything with water, but the water also opened for the alchohol and I had to add a lot to make it drinkable again.

Comments: The cask has overpowered the newmake, but I like it ;) Unsociable nose (keeps your attention away from anything else), I liked the nose better than the taste, which is not to say I didn’t like the taste. No water or a lot (30-50%). Not a dram for people who like to taste the raw materials and who are not sherry-bomb fans, but that wasn’t so surprising, perhaps.

Score: 8 out of 10

Nose: Negligeble.

Palate: Cold fireplace smoke, fridge, rock.

Score: 6 out of 10