Took a trip over to BevMo today to see what they had. I went into the Scotch section. Entering the cold months (yeah, I know I live in California, but it still gets cold here, dammit), I wanted to get better acquainted with whiskey, and I decided to pick up a bottle of Old Pulteney-12 years.
I had a taste this evening- it’s unlike other scotches I’ve had, and in a way I can’t place. Starts easy, then has a bite, followed by an almost smoky finish. Very much enjoyed it. Any scotch recommendations for a newbie? Whiskey?
If you like the 12, you will probably love the 17. The distillery is on the northeast coast of Scotland and shows some maritime influence. Oyster shell, brine, and some peat smoke. I find that OP has a cherry pipe tobacco smell and taste that I really like. There is some batch variation in OP; I think owing to its small size. When the 17 is on, it’s great. As is the 21, but to my taste not worth the premium. Jim Murray, the Robt Parker of whisky ratings, declared OP 21 to be the whisky of the year a couple of years back, leading to a significant price increase.
Couldn’t agree more. I had a chance to try all three side-by-side with the distillery rep last year and actually preferred the 17 to the 21. It’s not that the 17 was better, but my expectations were so damn high for the 21 that it ended up being something of a disappointment.
Yes - and yes. Picked up some good bottles at a nice whisky shop in North Berwick for pre-dinner drinking (the 12) and for a more special evening (the 17). Unfortunately, I found too that many special evenings suddenly declared themselves and the 17 was soon history.