Old Pulteney 12 Year Old

The most northerly distillery on mainland Scotland, so it is, and a fisherman’s drink it be! Fisherman’s drink, I hear you question, I thought they only drank rum and cod liver oil? Well, my friend, not in Scotland! With the distillery being right on the coast, and roads being in short supply at the time, the distillery relied heavily on boats both for getting their barley in and whisky out. That, in conjunction with the regions tradition for fishing, is probably the reason behind the Old Pulteney logo (which is a boat).

A bottle of the standard 12 year old expression will set you back about $40, and is widely available. This isn’t the most sophisticated whisky, but it’s a bit different and ruddy tasty. The nose is dry and slightly peaty with a certain harbor element to it, and there’s a bit of warm walnut in there too. A decent nose by all means, but the palate is where this whisky really comes out to play.

A river of oily caramel runs along your tongue as you take a sip, and is soon joined by the warm toasted and caramelized nuts you can often get at German Christmas markets, more caramel, and a bit of lovely sea salt which balances the sweetness out beautifully. The finish is of decent length and again oily, nutty, slightly citrusy and salty so, so salty. I love salt, by the way, so the saltiness is definitely a good thing in my books. It is, in fact, what makes this whisky stand out.

Color: Shimmering amber.

Nose: Peat, harbor, warm walnut.

Taste: Caramel, warm toasted/caramelized nuts, sea salt.

Want to buy this whisky? Available in: USA & World (click), UK & Europe (click)