Old Pulteney 35

Nice maritime influence with fruitiness and sweetness. Nose: Raisins, Honey, Oranges, Peaches, Cherries, Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Strawberries, Almonds, Marzipan, Banana Milkshake, White Chocolate, Coconut, Roses Palate: Almonds, Strawberries, Vanilla, Cherries, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Tosted Honey, Banana Bread, Prunes, Dates, Raisins, Dark Chocolate Finish: Strawberries, Vanilla, Lavender, Almonds, Salted Caramel, Honey, Raisins, Cherries, Dates, Figs

46% ABV Version Nose - Glazed raised donuts, fruity floral honey, caramel, chocolate covered mints, baked fruits Taste - Baked fruits, apples, pears, golden raisins, apricot glaze, dark honey, toffee, coffee, chocolate Finish - Fairly short but pleasant, caramel, dark honey, baked apples/pears, light mocha foam, light salt finally appears Score - 90/100 Final Thoughts - Fairly subtle nose, takes a bit of time to really open up. Nice flavors on the palate, but sadly a bit thin and watery for the age. It still had that "old" feeling in the taste in that everything seemed very well melded together, but just lacked that nice rich and complex mouthfeel. Very nice combination of flavors and it does take a while to fully come together. I'm really glad to have been able to try this, but I think I'd be disappointed if I had a full bottle of this as I think the 21 does quite a bit better. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Maybe Would I buy a bottle? - No

** Disclaimer: This review is what I would consider a “Quick Hit”- meaning I won’t have my usual in-depth notes that I usually like to take. The reason: this sample was poured at Whiskyfest DC on 4/17/18. All of these reviews will not be scored and I am actively looking to try them again at some point to do them more justice. This was our planned first stop when the doors swung open at Whiskyfest. As a group, @Generously_Paul, @Telex and I determined we needed to hit a few tables not offering peated whisky first, so we wouldn’t strain our palates right out of the starting gate. A 35yo OP sounded like a smart place to begin. A lot of other people had similar thinking and there was a line by the time we found the OP table. The pour was decent in size, but we just couldn’t let it sit long enough to open up IMO. Telex and Paul both noticed some soapy residue throughout the entire sip but it didn’t register with me so much. There was plenty of salt and sea spray notes, but it surprised me by how harsh the finish was. I was expecting it to be butter smooth, but it was anything but. I guess age doesn’t calm salt- it just gets saltier, lol. This was a good dram, but I ultimately felt let down- mostly because I have a bottle of this I paid over $600 for. It isn’t worth that based on flavor so I guess the age statement will have to be flashy enough to help it hold its value. Fingers crossed for that. Or I may end up saying “F-it” and opening it to give it a real opportunity to impress me. Who knows.

Review #1 of 12 from DC Whiskyfest 2018. I was only able to do 12 because I came down with something that afternoon that really messed with my head and stomach. I should have just stayed in the hotel room but I didn’t pay $350 for VIP tickets to sample my pillow! No scores for anything sampled as I don’t think it would be fair. OP 35 came across as very subtle on the nose with raisins, sherry and maritime notes. Oak, spice, salty, and sherry on the palate. Initial impressions were unfavorable but I think it’s safe to say there is much more to be discovered in this very old single malt, we simply didn’t have the time to investigate.