I got to try the Old Pulteney 35 first edition at Whisky Live and I was blown away. I’d had the 12 and 17 plenty and a few times got to spend an evening sipping on the lovely 21 and 25, but I’d never crossed the 3 decades barrier until that night and what I found was elegance in a glass. It was stunning and if I’d had a spare $700+ I would have bought one the next morning.
Fast forward a bit to the Old Pulteney event the SCWC put on and the magnanimous brand rep who brought this with them, the second edition of the Old Pulteney 35. We worked our way from NAS Navigator to 12 to 17 to 21 and then this… the 35. Doing a progression like that, of the same distillery, really put the 35 into perspective and I’m happy to say I was just as enamored with the second as the first.
Old Pulteney 35 Review: Details and Tasting Notes
In Old Pulteney’s Words: Old Pulteney 35
“Following the success of its first release in 2014 which sold out globally. Each bottle reflects Old Pulteney’s uniquely shaped stills. The quality of the whisky is perfectly embodied by the striking beauty of its packaging, which is similar to the first 35 year old release but with refreshed colours chosen to emphasize the Spanish oak influence on its flavours. Only 1,254 bottles of this rare and exceptional whisky will be available through specialist outlets around the world.”
Old Pulteney 35 price, ABV, age and other details
Region: Highlands
Distiller: Old Pulteney
Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley
Cask: ex-Bourbon
Age: 35 Years
ABV: 42.5%
Price: $800
Old Pulteney 35 Tasting Notes
EYE
Amber
NOSE
Sherry, malt, golden raisins, leather, complex orchard fruit, cocoa, Fruit Gems and a bit of ash, spice and butterscotch.
PALATE
Malt, saline, complex orchard fruit, nuts, saline, cherrywood, cocoa, oak, sherry sweetness and some ash, spice and earth.
FINISH
Long -> Nuts, malt, fruit, oak, ash
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Great balance, full body and oily feel.
Old Pulteney 35 Review: OVERALL
Nothing dry or tannic about the aroma and the palate has a good amount of sweet paired with the malt and an overall heavy rustic profile. The aroma is surprisingly juicy with a solid malty backbone and the palate shifts gears a bit with more of a roasted malt profile sustained by a complex sweetness. The Old Pulteney 35 comes together so balanced that the only descriptor to really capture its essence… is elegant.
SCORE: 92/100 (A-, was able to take a sample home)
Old Pulteney 35 Review
- Nose - 94
- Palate - 92
- Finish - 91
- Balance, Body & Feel - 93
Old Pulteney 35 Review Summary
Old Pulteney 35 is a delicious, balanced and elegant whisky. I’d love to be drinking it regularly… though, wouldn’t we all?
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