Old Whisky vs. New Whisky - One Case Study
Pulteney Distillery revamped their core range of Old Pulteney branded whiskies several years ago - they dropped the tasty 17 and 21 year age statements, and now we have a 15 year old, 18 year old, and 25 year old. Still, there was one constant that continued from the prior generation to the current one: the 12 year old.
The current version of the 12 year old Old Pulteney is widely available and reasonably priced - we can pick it up at most liquor stores in our area. In order to obtain the older version, bottled around the year 2000, we had to head to the auctions, but we found it for a reasonable price.
There are a few differences between the whisky in this older bottling and the current versions - the strength used to be 43% ABV (for the US market, at least), but now we get it at 40% ABV. There's also quite a significant difference in color, with the older liquid being much darker... hard to say whether that's an indication of the cask types, average age of the liquid, or some amount of added caramel coloring.
So, how do these two, separated by roughly 20 years, stack up against each other? Was whisky actually better in the past, or is that a myth?
Old Pulteney 12 Year (c. 2022 bottling)
Scotland/Highlands - Single Malt
Price Paid: USD 50 (2023)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 49 (2024)
Age Statement: 12 Years
Strength: 40% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon casks
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 5 times over 6 months, tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Soft and rounded, lots of those ex-bourbon notes: vanilla, dry wood, lemon, baked bread; white pepper, buttered toast, ripe banana, white grape, grapeseed oil, hay
Palate: The mouthfeel is medium-thin; tart with lemon, white wine, dry vanilla, and some unripe pear. There's a sweeter side that adds butterscotch and lemon curd, maybe some cardamom; hints of honey and salt. Overall, light complexion, and a little lacking in strength of flavor
Finish: Medium-short, with light oak and bourbon wood notes: vanilla, a hint of cream, clove, and lemons. Ripe pear and butterscotch candies, a hint of salt
Our Average Rating: 5.6 / 10
Value Rating: 6.16
Old Pulteney 12 Year (c. 2000 bottling)
Scotland/Highlands - Single Malt
Price Paid: USD 45 (2023 - at auction)
Age Statement: 12 Years
Strength: 43% ABV
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 2 months, tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Musty, with sweet polished oak, lots of old furniture oak. Wood flavors are dominant, but behind that, we find sweet scents of heather, soft tropical fruits like guava, chalky malt, and dark caramel
Palate: A medium-thin mouthfeel, but a decent amount of flavor; perfumed oak, sweet and oily, lightly floral and heathery, generally quite sweet. Baking notes of brown sugar and cinnamon, some vanilla and wildflower honey syrup, and there's a little hint of orange and raisin hiding in the background. Very mature, with an emphasis on those oak flavors
Finish: Medium length, sweet, almost saccharine. More perfumed oak, hints of oats and malt, syrupy, butterscotch, and vanilla. In the aftertaste, there's a slightly fizzy and floral element
Our Average Rating: 7.5 / 10
Value Rating: 8.43
Final Note: This is only one example, so we can't make any sweeping generalizations about new whisky and old whisky as a whole, but in this case, the difference is clear: the older bottlings of Old Pulteney 12 Year are absolutely a class above the newer versions. There's so much more maturity and flavor development in the older bottling, and while a 3% difference in bottling strength isn't a huge difference, it definitely helped in this case.
We were able to get these two bottles for roughly the same price, so we can make a good comparison when it comes to value - because of the better flavors in the old bottle, it is an excellent value, compared to a mediocre value in the current bottle.
If you're able to find one of these old bottles for a reasonable price, we would say it's worth a shot; we don't surf the auctions too often, but we'll definitely be on the lookout for more of these older Old Pulteney bottlings.
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.
Check out our full reviews of the new and old bottlings of Old Pulteney 12 Year:
