jonwilkinson7309
Old Pulteney Huddart
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed
November 24, 2019 (edited January 13, 2020)
If you've already read @Richard-ModernDrinking's excellent review of the Huddart, here's my quick take - What he said!!
If you're still reading, a few additional thoughts -
The nose on the Huddart is absolutely devine. Whenever I open a new whisky bottle (a small sample bottle in this case), I have a habit of smelling the first odor that escapes when the cork or top is removed. In this case, a big ball of sweetness greeted me, akin to a sherry bomb. But once in the Glencairn, it opened up to citrus and apple, vanilla and custard. There's peat smoke as well, but it's so beautifully integrated with the fruits that It wasn't the first thing I noticed. On the nose alone, this is at least a 4.75. I was left wondering what would happen if I put it in an essential oil diffuser.
Perhaps the only true negative about the palate is that it's a step down from the nose. But there's some nice, gentle peat smoke on top of what tastes like typical Old Pulteney - paricularly brine and a creamy honey. The finish is a bit bitter, but it's a dark chocolae and grapefruit bitterness that's enjoyable.
It seems that the Huddart has made its way to the US, because it's available at Federal Wines and Spirits in Boston (although they have a lot of unusual bottles and may be importing through alternative channels). My understanding was that OP's full new core line was to have hit US stores early in 2019, so I'm a bit surprised I've not seen it in other locations yet. As a result, I don't know what the typical US price will be and therefore have no basis for evaluating its VFM. But it's a very worthy dram, and I hope to see it on shelves soon.
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Nice review. It’s $60 near me, which is good value, but distribution looks very limited right now.