OLD PULTNEY
Single Cask #2061 selected by K&L (2021)MASH BILL – 100% malted barley
PROOF – 106
AGE – 15 years
DISTILLERY – Pultney Distillery
PRICE – $130
WORTH BUYING? – Not quite
Old Pultney is one of those old standards I see on the shelf all the time and don’t think much about. It’s rare that such brands catch my eye outside of their more affordable secondary bottler releases. And the mainstream distilleries don’t tend to release their own single barrel store picks. But K&L managed to snag just that, directly from the source.
The price was higher than it would be from a secondary bottler. But I’d always much rather introduce myself to an old standard without the old standard’s added color and chill filtration. Whisky in its most natural state. And the 106 proof of this cask strength bottling sits neatly within my ABV sweet spot. Intrigued, I bit.
I cracked it open on a chilly winter late-afternoon. Out of the gate it was fresh, flowery, salty, malty, with a custardy vanilla-caramel outlined with sandalwood. Faint pineapple notes on the nose really leaned forward on the palate, while the finish returned to the nose’s flowers, salt, malt, and custard. There was also a tannic edge to it that was a touch too edgy for me. But otherwise I found it a very refreshing pour.
Now here we are, two weeks after uncorking and a handful of pours into the bottle. How might it have opened up? These brief notes were taken using a traditional Glencairn.
COLOR – pale buttery yellow, reflecting the world around the glass with clarity
NOSE – thick whole cream, custard, caramel, fresh lemon slices, dry beach wood, salt, faint white peaches
TASTE – that malty and tannic bitter edge comes on right away and hangs around throughout; inside that thick edge there’s custard, vanilla, and caramel
FINISH – warm, with malt, oak tannin, salt, faint lemon, faint caramel and cream notes
OVERALL – an edgy and strong yet still somehow uneventful whisky
This is a bit of a chin scratcher. There is a force to the overall delivery that does have a certain appeal, especially in the rich cream aspects. It’s not overly hot at 106 proof. But there’s that bitter edginess, coming I believe from both the oak and malt aspects. On the taste this edge is drawn particularly thick, crowding out the other flavors. Today I get none of the flowery or pineapple notes than I used to, allowing the edginess even more sway over the experience.
The buyer at K&L recommended adding a drop of water, so I did. This expanded the salty caramel and custard on the nose a bit, but didn’t seem to nudge much else. On the taste, the bitter edge was indeed now tempered. This allowed the same notes to come through as before, with less distraction from the bitterness, and now also with an earthiness to it that’s quite nice. On the finish, though, the edginess returns with strength. There is no bite to it, just a roughness fencing in the softer cream and caramel notes. And still no tropical fruit. Only that faint whiff of white peach now and then.
Well, perhaps I should have held out for a secondary bottler’s release. It might not have been any more or less pleasing. But it would have been cheaper!
To be clear, this is not a bad whisky. Some people might quite like that bitter oaky-malty edge. And just as some of the uncorking notes have dissipated, they and others may return over the life of the bottle. I do appreciate the consistent thick creaminess at the center of it. But with so much edge and so little fruit sweetness, even with the appealing cream and candy notes I find the sum-total to be out of balance.
I’ve already put this to use in a Cameron’s Kick cocktail (scotch, Irish whisky, orgeat, lemon) and it contributed very well. So maybe cocktails will be where it earns its keep on my shelf. It’s rather $$$ for cocktails, of course. But if that’s where it shines best, that’s where it shines best. 🤷🏼♂️
Cheers!
The Right Spirit 