Well whisky lovers, it’s that time again………World Whisky Awards 2016

I think back through all the years of guessing which whiskies would take away the awards and this year has been the hardest to decide. There have certainly been many whiskies released and perfected over the year which gives a chance to many different expressions scooping the coveted award of ‘World Whisky Of The Year’. This morning (Australia EST) Twitter was in overload as the results started to come in from the awards ceremony and then the announcement….

The world’s number one whisky for 2016………………..the Old Pulteney 1989 Vintage

Now, if you are not familiar with Old Pulteney then let me tell you that this distillery is and always has been one of my favourites. My first ever single malt was from this distillery, it was the magnificent and very balanced 12 Year Old. It’s a memory that will always be with me and gives me goosebumps thinking about it.

The distillery was founded in 1826 by James Henderson at the height of Wick’s celebrated herring boom. It is one of the most northerly on the British mainland.

At a time when road links to the town were yet to be established, the distillery was dependent on the sea for its supply of barley and for the dispatch of its malt whisky. Wick became known for the barrels of silver (herring) and gold (whisky) which left the port in vast numbers.

The distillery itself has an absorbing history, with its unique stills defying convention to this day. The wash still, in particular, is a source of fascination to visitors due to the absence of a ‘swan neck’. Legend has it that when the still was delivered it was too tall for the still house and the manager simply decided to cut the top off! The Old Pulteney bottle now incorporates a bulbous neck to reflect the shape of the stills.

You can expect absolute brilliance but that’s only my opinion. Salty, fruity and smooth. Vanilla notes and well, fruity.
The distillery has scooped many awards through the years including Jim Murray’s Whisky of the Year award which he gave to the Old Pulteney Aged 21 Years. He also commented that it was his ‘Whisky of the Century’.
So what does the Old Pulteney 1989 taste like?

Official Tasting Notes

• Appearance: Polished Amber
• Aroma: Spices of the Orient and tangy green apples are wrapped in a veil of warm wood smoke. Honey and vanilla cut through the middle with a lemony top note and a faint floral accent.
• Taste: It starts dark and peaty with a heavy, spicy underpinning. The sweeter and lighter notes soon follow, bringing to mind vanilla custard laced with runny toffee, a touch of coconut, worn leather and a generous helping of bitter orange marmalade. The peat smoke flickers and changes, revealing a very mature, spicy and tannic side of this superb Vintage. Long lasting and satisfying.

The Old Pulteney 1989 Vintage is matured in hand-selected, American oak ex-bourbon barrels, which previously held a peated malt. Each bottle is natural in colour and non chill-filtered at 46% abv.

We all might have had a favourite single malt from last year and not have been lucky enough to have tried the winner so I would be very interested to understand ‘What was your ‘Whisky of the Year’ from last year and why?

*Please leave your comments below for discussion and copy into social media to keep the conversation going.

Explore the single malt range from Old Pulteney by clicking on the link here #trysomethingnew #discoverwhisky