Review by: Raygun

Haven’t been a fan of Old Pulteney core range, but had a couple of good single casks. Not had many OBs. This was selected and sold by Binny’s, and their Scotch picks have been largely hits in my experience, bourbon casks in particular. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 10 minutes. 

---

Distillery: Old Pulteney 

Bottler: Signatory Vintage

Region/style: Highland single malt Scotch

ABV: 57.7%

Age: 13 years. Distilled on May 27, 2008, bottled on March 10, 2022. 

Cask type: First fill bourbon barrel #800114, 198 bottles.

Color: 0.3 pale gold. Natural color. Non-chill-filtered.

---

Nose: This really lives up to Pulteney’s reputation as the maritime malt. Sea air, pears, cereal, and caramel. Very crisp.    

Palate: Considerably more caramel. Pears and apples dipped in salt water, with some lemon zest. Like a pear tart, with a buttery pastry crust. The pastry crust intensifies with water, as does the caramel. Not too sweet, which I like, and the salt balances it well. Responds oddly to water, getting hotter at first before calming down with more. 

Finish: Heat becomes noticeable. Nicely briny again. Apple and pear tart with a salted caramel drizzle. Green apples in particular, with that kind of tartness. Cinnamon pops up. Tastes a little younger than it is. Not much length here. 

---

Conclusion: Goes down nicely. Not doing anything too special, but not everything has to be. Shows the Pulteney character well, and suits the season with the apples and pears. Just a nice, solid Scotch; maybe a touch rough, but that’s OK. Binny’s has another good one. 

Buy a bottle? Not likely to still be there next time I get to Binny’s, but these picks are extremely reliable. 

Score: 77

---

Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky. (Convalmore 36)
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1)
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Ledaig 13 Amontillado)
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Tomatin 18)
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Glen Scotia 15)
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Aultmore 12)
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Glenmorangie 10)
• 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Pulteney 12)
• 0-49: Blech. (Muirhead’s Silver Seal 16)