Do you know how is it when you look forward to some event and then you enjoy it and you have some great time? In this case it was a full opposite. Last November there was a Tweet Tasting of 3 Old Pulteney whiskies in celebration of the their new 1990 vintage and I was selected to participate in it. From this moment the problems started to mount – firstly the samples didn’t arrive on time for the event. but as I wasn’t the only one plagued with delayed samples shipment up came the idea of having a second Tweet Tasting event for us poor-luck tasters (Yay!), but then, due to crisis at work and a flat tire, I missed the 2nd tasting too! what a real dumper on that evening it was.

So the samples were sitting on my shelf, looking accusingly at me and finally I managed to get to taste them earlier this week and today I bring you the tasting notes of the first one: Old Pulteney 12.

Old Pulteney 12 is the basic single malt coming from the Old Pulteney distillery in the Highlands of Scotland, matured exclusively in ex-bourbon casks.

Old Pulteney 12 (40%, buy here for £25.67)

Nose: heavy creamy malt (cereal like), vanilla and sweet heather honey, some maritime/salt, peppery/cloves spicy edge, sweet tasty lemon tart/pie

Palate: creamy cereal, lemon, salty oak wood, 2nd wave of heat with gentle spices – lots of pepper, cardamon, cloves and again some echos of lemon.

Finish: short-medium, salt and spices, malt all along. tingles of lemon.

Conclusion: basic and classic highland malt full of cereal, vanilla and honey with the added saltiness of OP – easy drinking with no remorse, chill out on the porch dram. no need to work hard on this dram – just enjoy.