The_Rev
Old Pulteney Clipper Commemorative
Single Malt — HIghlands, Scotland
Reviewed
January 29, 2017 (edited October 20, 2023)
I'd been wanting to try this, a limited run OP, but had balked at paying $10 over the price of the 12 yr for an NAS (my rule of thumb: NAS is OK as long as you price it fairly). Then, I got a $10 off coupon from my local fine spirits purveyor and figured why not get a bottle since the stocks of it are starting to run low. It's very obviously Old Pulteney from the first whiff on - that rich, fruity character comes to the forefront, this time with an apple overtone. There's also a savory olive note, some raisins, a bit of vanilla, and even a little chocolate; the only OP staple not that's not strong here for me is citrus. That said, there is some lemony brightness on the palate, along with crisp fresh fruit, a little bit of salt, and some vanilla...plus the inevitable heat from this being (presumably) a young-ish whisky. I think it's a bit silly to price this above the 12 year, but it still has enough to commend itself to warrant positive marks. I just wish it cost less; if it were priced more competitively, it could actually serve as a decent introduction to the distillery for the budget-minded.
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at least it wasn't priced more than $10 over the 12. Great that you found a bottle, I've never seen one in the wild before.