Old Pulteney Duncansby Head (46%, OB, 2013)

Whisky Review

• Category: Highland single malt scotch whisky
• Origin: Pulteney Distillery
• Bottling: Inver House Distillers Ltd.
• ABV: 46%
• Cost: £57.83

What they say:

Old Pulteney Duncansby Head

Featuring a coral red label and tube, the eye-catching packaging depicts an image of Duncansby Head lighthouse. Situated near to John O’Groats at the very northern tip of Scotland, the lighthouse protected a dangerous part of the Pentland Firth where the Atlantic waters flow into the North Sea. Matured in ex-American bourbon and ex-Spanish sherry casks, the whisky has a sweet full bodied taste with notes of honey, chocolate and oranges.

Appearance:

Golden amber with bronze highlights.

Aroma:

Sweet, spicy with hints of green apples, raisins and chocolate.

Taste:

Sweet and full-bodied with notes of honey, chocolate and oranges; rich and spicy with a long-lasting finish.

What I say:

In keeping with their maritime theme, Old Pulteney released the Lighthouse series of bottling in 2013 to the travel retail market. Each expression is named after a nearby lighthouse, famed for keeping mariners safe on the sometimes rough seas of the northeast coat of Scotland, and is constructed from differing marriages of casks. Named after Duncansby head and matured in a combination of American ex-bourbon and Spanish ex-Sherry casks.

Colour:

Copper amber gold (8/20) slow fine tears & fine legs

Nose:

Sweet, orange oil, sherry, leather, buttery & rich, fruit cake, raisin, cherry, cinnamon, red apple, barley malt, sea spray and caramel/toffee

Taste:

Buttery and oily on the palate richly spiced dried fruit mix or dry fruit cake mixture, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg with raisin and cherry, toffee apples, salted caramels and poached pears

Finish:

Medium-long, spiced fruit punch, toffee apples and woody oak hints

Overall:

Well balanced with a hint more fresh fruit and coastal influence, with time there was a suggesting of menthol of saccharine sweetness/glazed toffee with shellac – giving your teeth that coated fresh feeling and perhaps indicative of a little youthful whisky in the mix – but this is far from a weakness here as there is a lovely richness of flavour too.

Score: 85/100

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