And by ‘the’ distillery only bottlings, I mean the two casks that were available at the end of October 2022. A bourbon cask one, and a sherry cask one, both at rocket fuel like ABVs.

When I was there with the male side of the adult in-laws (we sensibly left the kids at home) we went for the most extensive tour available, which took about half a day, involved every nook and cranny of the distillery and a fairly massive tasting afterwards.

Of course, driving back was not an option after that so we went for lunch in Wick, and then for a walk along the coast and explored Castle Sinclair for a bit. The drive back started when it was already dark.

Anyway, two bottlings at over 61% ABV. Let’s go!

Old Pulteney 15, 2006-2022, Bourbon Cask 710, 61.4%

Sniff:
On the nose this one starts out fairly timid with clean hints of barley, a bit of oak and some coastal salinity. A dry highland character, with only minimal notes of vanilla and coconut. There’s something slightly buttery like some cask aged Chardonnays in there too. A note of lichen comes through as well as slate.

Sip:
Definitely not a dram to start an evening with, because the ABV is not hiding. The character of the whisky as well as the massive amount of alcohol in each sip make this a very dry dram with only a little sweetness. Some cask brought vanilla, a heathery note with a hint of bitterness. A very clean style of coastal highland whisky.

Swallow:
The finish shows a bit of a spirity youth, but it’s not with an alcoholic sweetness. More a mossy, lichen like note that hasn’t been overpowered by cask influence and time yet.

Gorgeous, if you’re into Old Pulteney. It’s very true to the distillery’s output, which I think is a very good thing. It’s quite complex, and it’s a more dry whisky, which is right up my alley!

89/100

Old Pulteney 14, 2007-2022, Sherry Cask 1467, 61.9%

Sniff:
Quite some oak, a good amount of spicy sherry with some yeast, almonds and date stones. A bit coastal, but with notes of heather, twigs.

Sip:
The palate, it’s fierce. The abv shows as it didn’t on the palate. There’s oak and almonds, apricots and heather. Some barley and a note of dirt.

Swallow:
A bold finish, wood and sherry. Not overly sweet, but complex and layered.

Really enjoyable too, with not too much sweetness and enough sherry flavors that it makes for a very different experience than the Bourbon cask. The bitter notes make for a nice surprise too, but I think Old Pulteney works slightly better from Bourbon casks.

88/100

Lovely stuff, and if you ever find yourself in the very north of Scotland, it’s a distillery well worth visiting.