Tastes

Nose starts predominantly with sherried oak, but not one-note; you can sense the slight smokiness of the charred barrel and the sherry wrapped around it. Buttery brown sugar. Raisin is apparent. Surprisingly spicy in first taste. Bit of pepper. Sweet, with brown sugar, a hint of maple sugar, maybe even a wisp of chocolate. A toasty smokiness emerges after the first wave of sweet and spicy. Raisins and apple. Weirdly buttery, if that makes sense. Fairly strong alcohol bite for only being 43%.

Sharply acerbic spirit is the big hit on the nose. Also has hints of bourbony corn and oak. Thin and watery. The body is thin and watery as well, and the sharp alcohol stings pretty hard at first. Very young bourbon notes: corn, oak, some vanilla. Overwhelming at first and then the finish is so brief it's gone before you know it.

Nose opens with strong oak. There's a hard alcohol edge suggesting very young spirit. Still bright and fruity with green apple, lemon zest, maybe even grapefruit zest. Slight salty caramel sweetness. Grassy and mossy/boggy. Not much in the way of body once it hits the tongue; thin, very little legs. Sharp, hot alcohol attack even with water. Grassy, salty, oaky. Longish, very spicy finish. Pineapple and grapefruit. Perfumey in a way my palate isn't robust enough to identify. Slightly salty at the end but the least of any Pulteney I've tried.

Great nose, with standard oak, green apple or pear, hints of spice. Seems to be a lot going in. As with all Pulteney's it also boasts a lovely maritime sea saltiness. Caramel on the palate with a sherry sweetness that is on the lighter side, but still sweet. That Pulteney saltiness woven perfectly throughout.

Swirling mix of oak and sherry. Gentle with a slight vanilla sweetness that is in level with a dry, hint of salty sea air that is Pulteney's trademark. Green apple fruitiness. Subtle floral herbiness. Lighter body. On the tongue there's a sea saltiness that is big up front. Oaky maltiness slides in as that fades. Kind if grassy? Nuttiness fades into a lengthy finish that is surprisingly peppery.

Big peat smoke on the nose. Sea air saltiness mixed with pepper. Simple but hefty in the body. Vanilla, malted barley, subtle banana. Nutty smoke and ginger spice.

First: the reference to an "unusually young age" doesn't make much sense, considering this has been aged for 19 years, according to Glenmorangie's web site. I found this to be a very compelling iteration of the Glenmorangie spirit. Lots and lots of orange zest and a strong nuttiness, almond or Brazil nuts, on the nose. Oak, obviously, is pervasive but also some sweet butterscotch or toffee. Slight biscuit scent. On the tongue the orange zest is still surprisingly apparent. Very nutty as well. Lots of oak notes but a different kind of oak, one that is spicy and zesty in a way I've never quite experienced. Coconut. Lots of oaky vanilla sweetness. Gingery finish that a long and lovely.

Peat smoke is most apparent on the nose, but a bright citrus and grassy, floral quality helps. In the mouth a honey sweetness spars with a comfortable smokiness, the peat not too acerbic or overbearing. Typical Islay sea salt brininess and a slight nuttiness. Slight lemon and apple hints as well.

Strong sherry and strident alcohol sting on the nose. Dried dates and plums, a whiff of the slightest hint of peat smoke. Brown sugar. Vanilla on the fringe, maybe with cinnamon and nutmeg. Pear. No oak at all but sherried wood very apparent. Vague allusion to cocoa. The palate has tons of sherry at first; very hot in the tongue with a lot of orange zest. Slight raisin. Brown sugar. Nutty. Smoke comes in only slightly at the end.The strength of the sherry makes it harder to parse out other components. Warming finish carries cocoa, more of the walnut nuttiness, and a slightly minty zest. Ends with a very wooden note; not oak but dried sherry cask.

Sweet corn and rye sting hit first on the nose, then a fruity caramel. Sherry notes and a hint of orange peel as well. On the first taste a wash of pepper, rye spice, and sherry-influenced fruit. Quite surprisingly soft on the palate, a bourbony initial presence that barely registers alcohol. It's practically mellifluent. After sitting on the tongue the rye spice comes out more powerfully.