Pulteney 19 Years Old 1998 Connoisseurs Choice Cask Strength (57.5%, Gordon & MacPhail, Bourbon Barrel #1071, 192 Bottles, 2018)

• Category: Highland single malt scotch whisky
• Origin: Pulteney distillery
• Bottling: Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseurs Choice 2018, Cask Strength
• ABV: 57.5%
• Cost: £130

What they say

• DISTILLERY Pulteney
• REGION Highland
• DISTILLED Wednesday, 26 August 1998
• BOTTLED Thursday, 21 June 2018
• ABV 57.5%
• YEARS OLD 19
• CASK NO. 1071
• CASK TYPE First fill bourbon barrel
• OUTTURN 192 bottles
• BATCH 18/049

Official tasting notes:

• Aroma Aromas of a summer picnic: pressed green apple, apricot jam, and gooseberry. Subtle exotic fruit notes emerge and mix with touches of toasted malt and gentle elderflower.
• Taste Crushed black pepper mellows into a zesty lemon; flavours of peaches and vanilla cream emerge. Ripe banana and pink grapefruit add a lightly drying edge.
• Finish Medium; herbal undertones develop into lingering citrus notes.

What I say

Celebrating 50 years of Connoisseurs Choice with Gordon & MacPhail.

An Independent bottling of Pulteney bottled as part of Gordon & MacPhail’s Connoisseurs Choice Cask Strength range.

Distilled in 1998 at Pulteney distillery and matured in a 1st fill ex Bourbon barrel for 19 years before producing 192 bottles at 57.5% ABV at outturn.

My tasting notes:

• Appearance: Copper gold (8/20), medium-fine tears and legs.
• Nose: Sweet, salted caramel, toffee, fruity apple, pear, peach, banana, a touch of lemon oil, herbal thyme and cereal barley malt.
• Taste: Sharp and sugary, citrus and hints of liqourice, settles into sweet honey, fruity apple, peach, nectarine, slightly salted, dried leather, salted caramel, vanilla and toffee.
• Finish: Long, sweet and jammy apricot and dried peach, gentle oak wood, lemon & thyme.

Overall

This single ex-bourbon barrel matured Pulteney expression reveals some interesting facets including Pulteney’s delicious coastal salt influence and in this example quite a savoury lemon & thyme mixture.

Score 87/100

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