Early 2018 Old Pulteney announced a trio of new travel retail exclusives. There was a 2002 single cask for the Viking Line, the 1990 vintage (which already existed as a limited edition) and this Old Pulteney 2006 vintage.
It was matured in just a handful of first-fill ex-bourbon casks.
Old Pulteney 2006
(46%, OB 2017, 100 cl)
Old Pulteney 2006Nose: a young, distillate-driven version. Some fruity notes (apples, white grapes, lemons) with honey, toffee and custard notes but also a light chalky touch. Dried barley. Hints of sunflower oil. Light mint.
Mouth: quite sweet now, with pear candy, vanilla, apricot and barley sugar. Builds up salty notes and a slightly woody astringency. Grapefruit, coconut flakes, malty biscuits and plain oak. Soft minerals.
Finish: medium long, on vanilla and oak char.
Travel retails whiskies are sometimes quick-and-dirty recipes that fail to convince, but that is not the case here. It’s young and not fully mature but certainly not bad as an entry-level whisky. Around € 40 for a litre bottle.
Score: 80/100