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Old Pulteney 17 Year
Single Malt — HIghlands, Scotland
Reviewed
April 20, 2017 (edited July 27, 2019)
Nose: A light sweet sherry hint at first then the fruity notes become apparent – light citrus, orchard fruits, melon and berries. There are minty notes behind the fruit supported by a background of malty cereal with a touch of leather, tobacco and burlap funk (just enough to add depth). As it rests in the glass the nose deepens and becomes richer, with sherry becoming more apparent. [The dry glass is sherry, honey and light smoke and surprisingly like the dry-glass aroma of Highland Park 18].
Palate: The arrival is soft and sweetly spicy with fruity notes a pleasant texture. There is a noticeable oak presence that rises in the development together with a rich, complex array of warmer spices - ginger, allspice, clove and cinnamon. There is a delicious vanilla-honey-sherry combination that flows throughout the palate and into the finish, and an earthy but fresh leathery quality.
Finish: Short and dry. The elegant spicy sweetness of the palate gradually merges into a mild salty aftertaste, which in turn finally fades out as sweetness.
A great whisky that for some is the standout of the Old Pulteney standard lineup but for others is overshadowed by the 21 year-old.
There is a strong similarity between this and its younger sister the 12 year-old expression, but this is more integrated and elegant with a well-defined sherry presence and some very agreeable oak influence that is lacking in the 12. Very much the 12 year old all grown up.
The nose is good but a little tight at first. It needs some time in the glass to unfurl and a couple of drops of water assists this process. The palate is, however, where things really blossom. Give this one some time to rest in the glass – at least 15 minutes – and I’d recommend just a few drops of water.
“Excellent” : 88/100 (4.5 stars)
165.0
AUD
per
Bottle
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Scotch IS a commodity!
I don't understand the "investor" model in this. It's not like a stock that you can simply put an sell order. These are highly speculative, really extreme high alphas that only correlate with fickle tastes. Personally, and it's just one man's opinion, I'd rather drink these, and invest in stocks/etf/bonds/commodities.
Both still available in Sweden, but I'll try them at Ardbeg Embassy first, before I think about purchasing. I only buy whisky to drink. 😀
Yeah, that's usually when the investor buys a couple of dozen bottles 'for later'. I never was a huge OP fan, but it's really sad to see these bottlings disappear. The 21-year-old is already gone everywhere I check, so now I am considering to grab at least one last bottle of the 17-year-old.
Still in stock here at just over $150 USD. Have one unopened at my place. Really should by more for investment but there is to much else I want to buy for personal consumption :-)
Yes, I found out about this earlier this week in a newsletter from my whisky supplier. Their source confirmed that there will be a new age statement but they have no details yet as to what it will be. I'm betting a 15 year old. I went online to buy a bottle or two of the 21 year old immediately only to find them sold out, and I couldn't find any 17 or 21 anywhere in Australia.
Yup...no more 21 after this last batch, and then no more 17 after early 2018. See this: https://scotchwhisky.com/magazine/latest-news/14936/old-pulteney-to-withdraw-17yo-and-21yo/
You're kidding me. No Old Pulteney's older than the 12-year-old standard expression anymore? If that's true, I am done with that distillery...
They're actually discontinuing this 17 and 21. I think the last of the 21s are now making its way into the supply chain, while the 17s will be till 2018.