Old Pulteney 21 Year

Aroma: A smooth blend of scents with cooked fruits, malted grain, potent honey varieties (including manuka, leatherwood, redgum), blood oranges, raisins, a salty tang, cinnamon, allspice, leather, aromatic pipe tobacco, red apple, pear, and toffee. Underlying this is a superb sherry-cask influence. It's not just background notes of sherry and oak, but a powerful, active sherry cask character. There's also the aroma of brown sugar and butter being combined to make butterscotch muffins. Flavor: A complex introduction combining sweet, salty, fruity, and honey tastes. It develops into a rich, creamy experience with massive malted caramel tones and precise ginger spice interacting with butterscotch and stewed figs, all set against a backdrop of both sweet and dry sherry, gently seasoned with cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. Aftertaste: Medium/long. Spicy fruit and honey flavors gradually disappear, leaving a slightly drying salty sensation and lingering warm spicy ginger. This is one of my all-time favorite whiskies. It's a fascinatingly rich and distinctive dram, yet simultaneously comforting and reassuring. It's magnificent from the first pour and continues to open and evolve for ages. Experiencing this whisky is like having a long, captivating discussion with a childhood hero who, upon meeting, actually surpasses your expectations. The aroma is textbook. There's no other way to describe it. This is the aroma to aim for if you want to create a great unpeated whisky. The flavor is huge and very rewarding with a majestic texture, and the aftertaste is the perfect dignified conclusion to the experience. The whole event makes you lean back in your chair with a satisfied groan of "oh, yes". This is a desert island dram and it is, quite simply, perfection, and I was devastated when I heard last year it was being discontinued. I'd suggest tasting it neat, or with just 2 drops of water, but however you drink it, don't rush the experience. This wonderful malt deserves time and respect, and will repay the effort many times over. Diluting this with sparkling water, soft drinks, or ice is forbidden. The universe will punish those who transgress. This re-review is based on the last sips from my final bottle. Tomorrow some friends are coming over to help me finish the remainder. Fond farewells. "Outstanding": 91/100 (5 stars)

Old Pulteney 12 was among the first single malts I encountered on my whisky exploration and has remained a top favorite. Tonight, I had the opportunity to savor a pour and truly appreciate its nuances in my solitude. I had briefly sampled the 17 and 21-year-old expressions at Whiskyfest 2017. Since then, I've been eager to own them. The highlight of that 2017 event for me was this 21-year-old. The pour displays a light golden amber hue. The aroma initially presents as tropical fruit and dark chocolate. As it evolves, briny maritime notes blend with the tropical fruit. An orange creamsicle burst emerges, wonderfully dominating. It then mellows, allowing the aromas to intermingle. Sawdust, vanilla custard, oatmeal raisin bread, honey, and lemon maintain the aromatic profile. The overall bouquet is soft, well-rounded, and gentle. Upon initial taste, there's a ginger root spiciness. Once accustomed, the palate can discern the flavors. Oranges, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and wood char provide vibrancy. However, a soft sweetness balances these elements. Butterscotch, golden honey, toasted coconut, dried pineapple, and syrupy dates are present. If you prefer a sweeter dram and less spiciness, add a small splash of water. The finish is medium-long, with the ginger spice and honey gradually fading into a dry woodiness with a touch of salt. This leads to a profound and comforting warmth. I am a great admirer of Old Pulteney. The 12-year-old has been my companion on numerous beach house getaways. This 21-year-old is meant to be sipped slowly, savoring every aspect, both individually and as a whole. It's a delightful sipper, perfect for a beach sunset or by a cozy winter fire. I managed to acquire two bottles: one for immediate enjoyment and another for a future special occasion. I'm fortunate to be able to enjoy it now, as it will likely soon, if not already, become a rarity. [96/100][$169][Tasted: 2/28/20]

A certain critic is right: this product is exceptional. A real explosion of everything related to the sea: full and exciting on the nose and on the palate, salty and salty, with a sweet background of honey and spicy spices. Very complex, but extremely balanced, to be meditated for at least half an hour before understanding it: you like it immediately, but its soul is complicated and varied. You can almost talk to it... If you have a flavor you like in mind, you will find it inside, if not at the first sip, at the second one. And the finish? It remains inside you and conquers you with its length and sweetness, in contrast with its "maritime" origins. Undoubtedly he deserves the highest marks, to try at least once in his life. Impossible not to have it in the cabinet for a malt lover, it is worth every penny. I would say THE whisky!

Purchased last year for just over $100, I finally had the pleasure of tasting it. The sherry's influence is undeniable, bringing bright, fruity notes. It's very full-bodied with subtle complexity emerging after the first taste. Vanilla and rich chocolate are present, supported by a bread-like or cake-like foundation. A woody oak tang counteracts the sweetness with an acidic burn. A fruity sweetness reminiscent of apples or stone fruit moves away from the tangy sherry, developing into a fuller berry dessert with malty characteristics. It has the characteristic sea air saltiness found in other Open Port offerings but a more substantial finish than others, with a hint of burning ash as the only subtle smoky element. It's sweeter than most but not overly so, thankfully avoiding being a dessert-only drink. This is exceptionally good. In essence, the previous 12-year-old Open Port is fantastic, particularly for its price, and the 21-year-old version is an enhanced rendition, offering a more impressive and refined spectrum of flavors. Compared to any overpriced, age-stated Macallan or similar bottles, I would choose this every time for the same flavor profile. At just over $100, it's a great value, but at the current market price exceeding $300, is anything truly worth it? Give this a try and purchase it if you have the opportunity.

It lives up to its reputation, but its presence is understated. This whisky doesn't rush to make an impression; it's not eager for attention. The nose is almost reserved, offering soft, light notes of crème brûlée and baked apple with cinnamon. However, the taste is extraordinary; my tasting notes exclaimed, "the Holy Trinity is this good." While that might be hyperbole, it's an incredibly smooth, well-integrated single malt. The palate echoes the baked apple and cinnamon with a creamy texture, alongside the sea breeze and citrus (specifically orange) characteristic of this distillery's spirits. There's even a subtle pipe tobacco note, which the head distiller attributes to the water's passage through a peat bog, despite the barley being unpeated. While I could elaborate further, this dram possesses a near-mystical quality that defies easy description. It exemplifies what excellent whisky can be and is worth its considerable price.

Released in 2017. Time for a comparison of two aged Old Pulteney expressions, the 17 and 21 year old! To make it clear which one is superior, the OP 21 is exceptional, while the OP 17 is not. I appreciate the OP 17 for harmonizing the spirit and cask influences. The OP 21 is primarily influenced by the cask, and it is outstanding. My assumption is that this spirit began its aging in a bourbon barrel, followed by many years in a sherry cask for a secondary maturation. It is incredibly rich with fruit. You encounter profound notes of dark berries, citrus, cherries, bananas, and kiwis. The malt's character is subtle, suggesting "pie." Berry pie, orange pie, cherry pie, banana pie, kiwi pie. It possesses a substantial fruity and biscuit-like quality that rivals Redbreast 21. The finish echoes the fruit pie theme, with a notable woody and spicy element. It's regrettable that I only acquired one bottle of this, and it's no longer available in stores. Rating: * (unforgettably good) Retail price: Current secondary market value is likely in the $200-$300 range. These are not found on shelves anymore. My perceived value: $200