| Rating | 34/40 |
| Origin | Scotland, Northern Highlands |
| Distillery | Old Pulteney |
| Owner | ThaiBev via InterBev via Inver House Distillers |
| Distilled | March 21st, 2007 |
| Bottler | Scotch Malt Whisky Society |
| Edition | 52.25 |
| Style | Single Barrel Single Malt |
| Cask | Refill Hogshead/Ex-Bourbon |
| Bottles | 240 |
| Strength | 60.3% (120.6 Proof) |
| Retailer | Scotch Malt Whisky Society |
| Whiskybase | Whiskybase |
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s 25th bottling of a potent single barrel single malt from Old Pulteney located up in the northern Highlands.
Nose: Wait… is this a Bruichladdich? It feels like I’m experiencing those same typical buttery notes of raw cake batter that I’ve always loved about the Islay distillery’s output. Myriads of tiny citrus-flavored lightning strikes burst forth from that misleading doughy mass, skittering about and leaving hints of caramelized brown sugar in their wake. This is very nice! (8.5/10)
Palate: The first sip skips right past the front of the tongue and gathers as a light and sweet vegetable broth in my cheeks. Leeks? Subsequent sips remain quiet in the front except for a noticeable oily coating that’s building up there. (8.5/10)
Finish: Faint hints of gather in the back of the mouth… perhaps some of the veggies used for the stock were roasted? Mostly, though, there is a salty residue on the tongue and a deep warmth in my chest. Quite lovely. This whisky is surprisingly quiet given it’s high-powered ABV but it definitely works for me. (8.5/10)
Balance: It’s a strange thing to say but this whisky is oddly convincing in its lack of pronounced flavors. I am surprised at how much I like this. It’s not exactly aligned with my usual preferences which I will freely admit, lean somewhat toward the bombastic. Either way, it’s always great to have a different kind of rewarding experience! (8.5/10)
