Old Pulteney Spectrum WK 217 Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Old Pulteney Spectrum WK217

Type: Single Malt

Age: NAS

Alcohol: 46%

Date: 23/07/2012

Colour: Copper/Dark Gold

Nose: It’s not an easy Nose. You will need to take your time to get some reward. To start with I recognise Pencil Shavings, Wood, Brine, Sultanas and a hint of Earth. There is some Alcohol to deal with. After a couple of minutes I get Malt, Dried Apricots and Vanilla. Nosing the empty glass the next morning you’ll get nice Malt- and Sweet Fruit tones.

Taste: Strong Sweet Delivery with Orange Liquor, Sherry, Malt, Spices and a Salty touch.

Finish: Quite warming with a bit of Spice, Orange and Oak. The Salty tone stays for a little while. Cooked Red Fruit after a couple of minutes.  

I added a bit of water that helps opening the Nose. You’ll get some extra Malt and Sweet Fruits. The Alcohol gets toned down. You can therefore freely experiment with a couple of drops when nosing. But Palate and Finish are better enjoyed without the additional drop.

Rating:  82 

Nose: 20.5 – Taste: 21 – Finish 20 – Overall: 20.5

General Remarks: This edition is the last in a series of three, honouring fishing boats from the home of Old Pulteney, the port of Wick on the Northeastern Coast of Scotland. This specific boat was called Spectrum and was registered under number WK 217. You can only buy these three expressions in the Travel Retail shops. Of the Spectrum, only 9600 bottles have been released. The Spectrum has matured in ex-Bourbon and ex-Spanish Oak Sherry Butts. The Old Pulteney Distillery is the most Northern Scottish Whisky Distillery on the mainland.

Drinking Experience Straight: Good

Conclusion: This is certainly not a bad Single Malt, especially when you like sweet Sherry or Liquor on the Palate. I find two flaws however, preventing me from giving this dram an even higher score. Firstly, the Nose opens up with great difficulty to eventually release mostly woody, earthy notes. And secondly, the Orange Liquor is rather dominant on the Palate. On the positive side there’s this nice Salty element woven throughout this dram. So to conclude, this Old Pulteney expression is certainly a well crafted dram. But I would have liked to see a bit more suspense and diversification. I do look forward though to taste other whiskies from this Distillery!  

Jan van den Ende                                                                  July 2012