Old Pulteney 12 Year Old Scotch Review

Updated October 13, 2019

By Kurt Maitland

Average Rating: B

The Old Pulteney Distillery dates back to 1826, and is named after Sir William Pulteney. He is the namesake for the town that the distillery is located in, Pulteneytown, and thus for the distillery too.

Old Pulteney Distillery is the most northerly distillery on the Scottish mainland and at the time of its establishment was quite inaccessible, except by sea. That has since changed, as the Old Pulteney has become quite accessible lately, winning awards and garnering fans. The latter include Jenn Wong, the LA  blogger and voiceover actress that The Whiskey Reviewer interviewed in August of this year, which described Old Pulteney as her “go to” whiskey.

The Scotch
The 12 Year Old is the entry level single malt for Old Pulteney. My notes are as follows:

Appearance: Golden ginger
Nose: Light honeyed smoke, whiff of sea salt
Taste: I get light smoke, honeyed citrus, cinnamon, chocolate and sea salt. With water, the smoke gets tamped down as does the sea salt and the cinnamon gets a slightly higher profile. The mouthfeel is smooth and well rounded
Balance: Smooth, slightly oily finish
Finish: A little dry, semi-sweet, with a light pepper note at the end

This is a great tasting single malt. It is almost dessert-like in its flavor profile. It’s well suited to be a relaxing after work drink or the kick off to the start of an evening out. It’s a good option to introduce a person to the world of single malts while still giving seasoned hands a reason to enjoy.

Addendum By Father John Rayls

The appearance is a combination of orange-tinted and medium-brown colors, taking on the appearance of rich Kentucky tobacco leaf as it dries in the barn. The bottle is reminiscent of the still itself. It’s unusual and attractive at the same time. The legs are long, and drain consistently and evenly around the glass.

The nose is light, but not difficult to detect with a total absence of alcohol burn. There are notes of light honey smoke with salted caramel nuts and some very light vanilla, with a very satisfying creamy mouthfeel. Most of the flavor profile is mid-mouth and almost makes it to the tip of the tongue.  It brings to mind a Payday candy bar on the tongue only not nearly as sweet.  It’s salty, nutty and comes with a caramel base with light spice.

At 86 proof, it drinks like a much bigger whisky. As primarily a bourbon drinker, I’m surprised to say this could become a regular “go to” for me. The finish is medium to long and changes from a salty caramel cinnamon profile into a light oak pepper finish. This would be an excellent scotch to help “newbies” join in, but is interesting enough to grab the attention of more experienced consumers.

Addendum by Richard Thomas

I found Old Pulteney 12 to have a white wine coloring and that it put a viscous coating on the glass, complete with a beady crown and no discernible legs. The nose was fruity in the main, plus a little spicy and a little woody. The flavor was sweet with honey and fruit, and the touch of spice and wood from the nose was joined by the barest hint of ash. The finish was light and brushed with wood, spice and char.

Since Kurt first wrote this single malt up in 2014, the ABV on the expression has dropped from 43% to 40%.

The Price
This excellent spirit can be found for $45 in the US or £30 in the UK.