Part of the famous 'old' Old Pulteney core range - here we have their 17 Year single malt, which was sandwiched between the 12 Year and 21 Year versions. This whisky is bottled at the enthusiast-focused strength of 46% ABV, which generally avoids the need to use chill filtration.
The cask makeup is a combination of ex-bourbon casks and sherry casks (reportedly both Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherries); the focus was definitely on the bourbon casks, though, with just a small dollop of sherry used to round out the profile.
Old Pulteney 17 Year
Scotland/Highland - Single Malt
Price: USD 155 (2026)
Age Statement: 17 Years
Strength: 46% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times over 3 months from a sample. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Oily, salty, and super malty - classic Old Pulteney. A soft polished oak influence does show some nice age, and we get orange oil, brine, and a sort of floral-grainy-gristy note. Orange seeds, orange fruit flesh, and stone fruit pop up, and we find hints of bready character in that malt.
Palate: Again, it's super malty - bready malty grains, then some savory salty notes, other golden grain accents, and that oak returns in the form of dusty, polished, antique furniture. Bruleed sugar, hints of raisins, sweet lemon, and orange oil come next; cardamom and brown sugar are accents. This has a medium thickness mouthfeel.
Finish: Honey, heather, soft spirity effervescence, and orange peel all accent that dominant tasting note: malt. Warming oak builds, and we get baking notes of cinnamon and brown sugar; it's classic, warming, and this finish has a medium length.
Final Note: This whisky just screams Old Pulteney - it's that lovely, classic combination of strong malty notes, coastal brine, and great balance. The oak does show nicely on this 17 year malt, although that's no surprise - in both the old versions of the 12 year and 21 year single malts, we found more oak than expected given the respective ages. There are some nice fruit notes in this profile as well, with the orange on the nose, followed by some citrus and dark fruits on the palate. Very good whisky, and like many folks, we wish we could still get this release now.
Value is a little below average based on the going rate on the secondary market (auctions, mostly); $150+ is asking a lot, but if this is your sort of flavor profile, we do think it's worth it.
Our Rating: 7.5 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.59
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other Old Pulteney reviews:
Review #248 - Old Pulteney 12 Year (c. 2000 bottling)
