Old Pulteney 18 year old 46%
Tasting Note
Second Fill Bourbon, finished in First Fill Spanish Oak
Tasted: Jan 2019
The nose is quite briny and earthy with taught barley, pepper, vanilla, herbal sherry and a salty twang. Compared to the 15 year old it’s rather tightly wound with late developing green citrus, gooseberry and juniper-like botanical notes.
The palate is rich and oaky, opening with the creamy vanilla and subtle sherry wood tannins and bitter chocolate. Hints of apricot, salt, fruitcake and treacle come through on the middle. Long and salty with finally the juicy apricot, melon apple and citrus notes punching through the oak.
Normally I wouldn’t put water with a 46% bottling but I wondered if it would open the nose up a bit and it now shows more fragrant vanilla and fleshier fruit. The American is more noticeable and shows a more mature character. The palate is silkier and probably shows a better balance between the dried sherry fruit, bitter tannins, mature American oak and malt. Hints of wood smoke, salt, bitter chocolate on the finish and a pleasant dusty American oak after-taste.
At a Glance
Second Fill Bourbon, finished in First Fill Spanish Oak
Tasted: Jan 2019
The nose is quite briny and earthy with taught barley, pepper, vanilla, herbal sherry and a salty twang. Compared to the 15 year old it’s rather tightly wound with late developing green citrus, gooseberry and juniper-like botanical notes.
The palate is rich and oaky, opening with the creamy vanilla and subtle sherry wood tannins and bitter chocolate. Hints of apricot, salt, fruitcake and treacle come through on the middle. Long and salty with finally the juicy apricot, melon apple and citrus notes punching through the oak.
Normally I wouldn’t put water with a 46% bottling but I wondered if it would open the nose up a bit and it now shows more fragrant vanilla and fleshier fruit. The American is more noticeable and shows a more mature character. The palate is silkier and probably shows a better balance between the dried sherry fruit, bitter tannins, mature American oak and malt. Hints of wood smoke, salt, bitter chocolate on the finish and a pleasant dusty American oak after-taste.
£125.63
