Finally went back to the Auld Alliance after 4 months away - the folks still remember where I usually sit and ushered me to the corner of the bar. Aww. Bless them. Decided to try something a little older this time.
Old Pulteney 21 (46% abv)
Nose - noses of salted butter - creamy, vanilla, sea-salt toffee. This is a very nice opening nose. Buttered croissants. A little more rye bread after a while, though the creaminess stays. Thick fruits too - some jackfruit, pears, a dollop of honey. This smells very inviting.
Palate - Mm. Sea-salt toffee and lots of rich caramel, the kind that you find inside a Cadbury chocolate bar. Fruits come out more prominently, though it tastes like overripe peaches. Mouth feel is somewhat syrupy. A hint of oak and vanilla, though these form more of a backdrop. Not very malt forward, but the suggestion of rye bread is still there. Some mint and pepper.
Finish - Not very long, but whatever lingers feels like oak, honey and a bit more salt.
Overall - Again, not something that I would agree with Jim Murray on, scoring wise, who rated it the best whisky in the world in 2012. But this is definitely good whisky, and its a pity that the rumours about its discontinuation turned out to be true. At last year's Whisky Live, the brand ambassador was trying to convince visitors that the shape of the bottle mouth influences the taste - I'm guessing she's referring to the stills used in Old Pulteney, which the bottle mouths are modeled after. The rich caramel and toffee gives this a fairly unique texture-and-taste mix, feeling quite luxurious, though it's not very complex or challenging. Told H about what I heard regarding the discontinuation, and he immediately said that they should seek to stock up on the OP 21. Guess it's fairly popular then? I can see why. Old, inviting, velvety. This should be a hit with most whisky drinkers, if a little unchallenging for those seeking something more complex. Will definitely be missed now that it's gone.
No comments:
Post a Comment