Pulteney 2005 Connoisseurs Choice Cask Strength 20 yo

 

 

 

56,9°

Distillery : Pulteney - Highlands

Refill Sherry Butt

Independent Bottling 

By Gordon & MacPhail 

Limited Edition

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated 

 

 

 

This is only the sixth Pulteney I taste, and the first from an independent bottler. Suffice to say, I was really looking forward to this experience. This is a distillery that certainly deserves a closer look, as it has a well-known and recognised profile, and one doesn’t often get the chance to try its whiskies. That was without taking into account the maturation, in a single Refill Sherry Butt, which risks overshadowing the distillate’s merits. 534 bottles have flooded the shelves.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The sherry character is quite pronounced, raisins and dried apricots, apple compote, red berry jam, candied oranges, dates and dried figs, cinnamon and ginger. Underlying this is a lovely salinity and some maritime notes, sea spray, sea foam. On the palate, caramel, ginger, yellow peaches, walnuts, full-tanned leather, woody spices, nutmeg. The finish is quite long, not too violent, it’s more cereal-like, toasted wheat, malted barley, crème brûlée, cough sweets, cola, treacle, bark. Floral honey. 

 

In Short, 

I did detect a hint of salt, but only on the nose. Apart from that, it’s just another Sherry bottling, very well made, certainly, but nothing remarkable. Apparently, the sherry wasn’t ‘refill’ enough. It’s a shame because the spirit is old, it could have offered some lovely subtlety. Perhaps it should have been bottled earlier, before the cask took over. As it stands, the price seems a bit steep to me. 

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                             To Be Listened While Sipping : 

                                             Clint & The Cosmic Wake - Don't Cry Baby