Old Pulteney Scotch

Some nights, especially those where it's really cold out, nothing hits the spot like a good dram of whisky. Tonight I'm having a glass of Old Pulteney single malt, which is from the distillery of the same name that is the northernmost on the mainland (there are two on the Orkney Islands that are farther north). One of the odd things about Old Pulteney was that when they were installing the still, it didn't quite fit. So they cut off part of the gooseneck, resulting in a shorter than designed still. This could be expected to give a fuller bodied slightly oilier whisky, but sometimes it's hard to say what has caused what effects.

On the nose, OP does present a slightly oily character, with hints of spice and smoke (I'm drinking it neat). On the palate, it starts out dry, with a slight herbalness and just a bit of heat. But after a few seconds, a nice slight honey sweetness shows through, countering the spicy warmth perfectly. The finish is just slightly off-dry, leaving you wanting more. The whole time, it is exceedingly smooth.

Adding just a splash of water helps open it up, as is typical with most single malts (if you only drink them neat, I suggest also trying it with a few drops of water; it can make an amazing difference with some Scotchs). The spice on the nose is now shared with a slight floralness, and on the palate, the honeyed sweetness, while still very slight, comes through from the beginning, with the spicyness showing up more on the finish. It's almost as if the splash of water has reversed the tasting sensation, with a little extra complexity.

If you like single malts, I suggest you seek this one out. It's not easy to find, but it's also reasonably priced when you do. While this is technically a Highland malt, it is a little fuller bodied than most Highland malts, with some of the oiliness of an island malt, but without the intense smoke of the Islay malts, or the searing spice of something like Talisker. Overall, one of my favorites.

This tasting was of the 12 year old version. There is also a 17 year old, which I haven't tried.