Old Pulteney Navigator

Here we've got an NAS limited edition release from Old Pulteney. Old style packaging; they've recently revamped their entire line-up; this one did not make the cut. This Navigator release comes from the previous generation of Pulteney products. Let's see if this an NAS release is on par with the (old) 12 year of which I am very fond. Nose: At 46% ABV this thing really pops out of the glass. There is a big jam note that bears credence to sherry cask-aging. More standard notes of apple, honey, vanilla, and toffee. A little grainy, and obviously young. A sulfuric note that is a bit unpleasant. Palate: True to its reputation as a coastal malt, there are some distinct salty, maritime notes. A bit of cranberry and fig/date representing the sherry cask, while more of the standard toffee, honey, vanilla, apple, caramel, cereal, and butterscotch fill out the palate. Green apple jolly rancher. At the back end I pick up some milk chocolate and some citrus notes (a bit of lemon and lime juices.) Big improvement over the nose. Finish: Woody and spicy. There's still some sea salt, but now it's complimented by black pepper and cinnamon. The higher ABV makes itself known here. More green apple Jolly Rancher. There's a bit of jammy, fruity sweetness before this moderate-long finish reaches its conclusion. Certainly a good one. Definitely not a great one. Outside of the maritime qualities, it's not particularly unique. It's young. If you can get the Oban Distillers Edition for around $75, I would spring for that as your sherry/bourbon cask aged coastal highlander. This was $49 for reference. Head to head with the (old) 12 year, I'd choose the latter. The 12 is just a better expression of Pulteney's potential. Though I will say, I think 46% was a good choice for this one and would be a good choice for the 12. As for the Navigator, it's good as is, but I'll admit, you aren't missing much if you don't pick it up before it's all gone. This simply needed more time in the casks, or perhaps just better casks. Either way, I assign this a 3.0 for being perfectly average. EDIT: Three months later and I'm back. The nose is lacking and even a bit unpleasant, but the palate and finish have improved greatly. This has really opened up. Bumped from 3.0 to 3.75. Furthermore, I may have changed my stance on how this stacks up to the 12 year (old packaging). More on the latter to come later on.

Just starting to explore whiskies, and this one is interesting to me. I agree with others who say that there is a heat and alcohol burn when taking your first sip. The flavor was hard for me to figure out - kind of muddled between crisp/refreshing and woodsie. I'd suggest pushing past first impressions. This is a fun little scotch with some hidden allure. Add a little water and the heat gets taken down a notch. I don't pick up a lot of fruit flavors (but I admit I need to work on my pallete and vocabulary so that one day I can also describe whiskies as having hints of monkey halos sprinkled with confectioner's sugar and a lingering hints of carmelized bee wings). Anyway - for my Neolithic description I'd say it reminds me of the beach. But not a sunny day at the beach, more like a cool Fall day early morning on the beach. Texture is oily - but not in a bad way. I enjoyed the way it coated my mouth and lingered after each drink. Not a lingering flavor, but a lingering feeling. Like a woman you may end up marrying, first impressions from across the room may be best ignored - walk over and say hi. This is a fun whisky. I like it.

"** Disclaimer: This review is what I would consider a “Quick Hit”- meaning I won’t have my usual in-depth notes that I usually like to take. The reason: this sample was poured at Whiskyfest DC on 4/17/18. All of these reviews will not be scored and I am actively looking to try them again at some point to do them more justice. After being slightly disappointed by the VIP pour of the OP 35 I eventually worked my way back to their booth to try the 25yo and the Navigator. This NAS was surprisingly good even though the heavier than expected salt and sea notes powered the malt while leaving behind a bit of soapiness hanging around longer than I’d have preferred. It was still mostly enjoyable and I’d like to try it again soon. The 25yo was the highlight from the OP booth. More on that one later.

Old Pulteney 12 is one of my favorite 12 year old malts. Doing a side-by-side tasting of the 12 and The navigator it is quite obvious that they have the same parentage. Both exhibit rich malt apple pie crust flavor, a little fruitiness, and a touch of seaside salinity. The Navigator is a NAS, though clearly not young, is a higher proof than the 12 and also has some sherry finish barrels in the mix. This is NOT a sherry bomb, but the sherry fruitiness is clearly there. The finish is medium long shows off fruit and a little peppery astringency. This is another delicious malt from Old Pulteney. If I had to choose only one, it would be the 12. For my taste it is the more balanced of the two---but I would miss The Navigator for it is both delicious and just enough different from the 12.

For a 46%abv malt, this is a rather simple dram. The bottle is very beautiful but what's inside is what matters. Easy drinkable and fairly decent, this is not a bad dram, but nothing to lose your sleep either. Bottled at 46% abv, amber color. On the nose, honey and toffee, very fresh. Pear is also present. Sweet aroma. On the palate, honey, corn flakes (honey corn flakes), sugar, slight wood flavor like cork. Aftertaste is interesting, chilli is the spice here, not unpleasant. Overall this is a fair dram. 78 over 100 can be a decent score for it.

Nose opens with strong oak. There's a hard alcohol edge suggesting very young spirit. Still bright and fruity with green apple, lemon zest, maybe even grapefruit zest. Slight salty caramel sweetness. Grassy and mossy/boggy. Not much in the way of body once it hits the tongue; thin, very little legs. Sharp, hot alcohol attack even with water. Grassy, salty, oaky. Longish, very spicy finish. Pineapple and grapefruit. Perfumey in a way my palate isn't robust enough to identify. Slightly salty at the end but the least of any Pulteney I've tried.