Old Pulteney 17 Year

Nose- Lemons, orange, sea spray, butter, caramel apples Palate- Apples, brine, melted butter, vanilla, bit of spice Finish- short, oily finish with notes of vanilla and spice Forgettable. The nose is fantastic, but the palate fails in comparison and is very simple and subtle. The finish is short and just okay. Would not buy a bottle of this.

A rarity for me: two consecutive tasting days, though somewhat planned. An opening volley with the Old Pulteney 21 and a closing shot with the Old Pulteney 17. A pale amber-yellow, almost apple juice in color. Fresh diced apples, pears and peaches in a candied syrup is the aromatic introduction. As time grows, sugary notes of butterscotch, honey and vanilla. There are wisps of sawdust and berries, sweetened, ripened plumbs and maritime brine. A sweet and fruity dram this one is. In a lightweight body, like the nose, vanilla, butterscotch honey, Granny Smith apples, pears, lemons and berries. There is some spice of cinnamon and nutmeg with ginger snaps that produces a prickly sensation. The finish is medium-long that is oaky-dry, wood spice with vanilla cream, lemon zest and ground cinnamon with a bit of deep warmth. As usual, a dash of water takes the edge off and sweetens the dram. “Picture yourself in a boat on an” orchard near an ocean. Lol. A pour that is most perfect for summer or early autumn days. The nose sets the stage for the delivery and the finish slowly brings you to a blissful end. Not as deep and rich as the 21 year brethren, but still holds it own. Once again, unfortunately, another fine dram will soon no longer exist as this has been slowly extinguished. As I may have mentioned, OP is a favorite of mine, but that’s mainly with the original range. I only hope the successor are just as good. [90/100][$107][Tasted: 2/29/20]

Bottled 2015. Time to have two old Old Pulteney’s, 17 and 21, side by side! Some scotch aficionados regard the OP 17 as one of the finest whiskies of its time. For me, this is not nearly that special. It is, or was, very fairly priced, and that is enough to turn a scotch into a darling these days. This is just a solid single malt. If you don’t like this, then you don’t like scotch. This is one example of a whisky where the spirit and cask characters are in perfect balance. I think Arran 14 has taken over as that example, now that this is discontinued. The nose is butterscotch and vanilla, with just the right amount of salt and herbs. The palate is fruity and floral first, but the colors are understated, kept in check by the maltiness. There is no smoke at all. This is a scotch to showcase to newcomers that THIS is what is at the heart of the buzz around scotch; not a Macallan sherry bomb, or a Laphroaig peat stinker. Despite the praise, this is a forgettable scotch. I am SO spoiled for saying that! But I have found so many equals that are cheaper and/or younger that illustrate quintessential scotchiness and that perfect balance between cask and spirit. I already mentioned Arran 14; but there’s also the Mortlach 16 and the Craigellachie 13 as two other examples. This just means OP probably used relatively inactive senile casks for aging this 17 years, and could have had more vibrancy with a younger age and more active casks. The OP 21 is a completely different beast several classes above the 17. Score: 0 (forgettable) How much does a bottle cost: It’s been discontinued since 2017, but there’s still some on shelves in my area for $100-130 How much do I think a bottle is worth: $100

Smooth but still complex