I’ve been an Old Pulteney fan fora long time and I’m quite excited to get to sit down and review the Old Pulteney 15 Years today. Like many distilleries Old Pulteney shifted to making “named” NAS whiskies a couple years ago and like related offerings from other brands… they sucked.
They didn’t have the life, the character or the richness of OP’s age-stated whiskies. The OP Navigator was piss-poor compared to the standard Old Pulteney 12 years and the OP Clipper was a weak shade next to the always amazing Old Pulteney 17.
Unfortunately, the OP 17 has been discontinued (and the OP 21 followed soon after), but in its place, this Old Pulteney 15 Years arrived. I’m 99% sure this will beat out either of the NAS attempts listed above, so I’ll be comparing it to the whisky it replaced.
Will it be a worthy successor? Let’s get to drinkin’ and find out.
Old Pulteney 15 Years – Details and Tasting Notes
Whiskey Details
Region: Highlands, Scotland
Distiller: Old Pulteney
Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley
Cask: ex-Bourbon, ex-Sherry
Age: 15 Years
ABV: 46%
Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color
Price: $80
Tasting Notes
EYE
Honey
NOSE
Banana malted milkshake, honey graham, vanilla frosting, nuts and a light bit of baking spice and lemon peel.
Delicate, but not weak, this is a nice, relaxing, and easy aroma I can happily sit and sniff.
PALATE
Banana malted milkshake, honey graham, waxy vanilla frosting, dried orchard fruit, roasted nuts, baking spice, toffee and touches of leather and hay.
Woah. The aroma does NOT give you much insight into the palate of this Old Pulteney 15. It’s so much richer and fuller.
FINISH
Med-long -> Waxy vanilla+banana, malt, earthy hay and graham fade to honied grahams.
BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Well balanced, med-full body and a waxy feel.
Old Pulteney 15 Years – Overall Thoughts and Score
I love Old Pulteney, it’s among my favorite distilleries and when it’s on point it’s hard to beat. A great example is that Old Pulteney Single Cask 231 from a few years back… holy freaking cow that was delicious. I wish I had another bottle in the bunker because that’s a whisky I definitely wish I could continue revisiting in the future… and this is somewhat in that vein.
It’s not quite as good as the old 17 yo it replaced, but it is a worthy addition to the line. It has a warm waxy character that keeps drawing me in and I find myself reaching for the Old Pulteney 15 and wanting the experience of drinking it. This is the bare minimum of what all Old Pulteney should be.
SCORE: 3.5/5
Old Pulteney 15 Years Review $80
Summary
This is a warm, waxy, malt with a nice array of flavors that make this something you want to go back to over and over. A darn fine malt indeed.
Overall
3.5- Nose (3.5)
- Palate (3.5)
- Finish (3.5)
- BBF (3.5)
