Meeting Results – Scotch (Highland v. Islay) – May 6, 2023
The May meeting of the Proof & Bond Society focused on Scotch whisky two ways; the Highland variety from the north, and the Islay variety to the south. Below we have a summary of the results of those tastings and the cumulative average scores of all of our members.
Old Pulteney 15 Years Old Single Malt Scotch
Proof:
92 Proof | 46% ABV
Age:
15 Years
Distillery:
presenter:
Stephen Robie
Reception:
We begin our tour of Scotch whiskies up north, where Old Pulteney claims the sea air imbues their light, drinkable whisky with a pleasant salinity. Some of the Society noted this saltiness, though it wasn’t clear if it was influenced by the marketing copy or not. The general consensus was that this Scotch was a honey-colored breeze to drink. Whatever peat and smoke was present was light and manageable, though the spirit opened with an unexpected pop of intense flavor. Everyone identified notes of pepper, and some noted clove and earth. Everyone also noted the punch up front; this disappeared with a few drops of water, though was almost uniformly missed. The finish of the spirit got very little spotlight, as it seemed to taper quickly. Old Pulteney was pegged, not dismissively, as a good beginner’s Scotch, and kind introduction to the qualities that make a Scotch a Scotch without being loud enough to scare people off.
Final Rating: 3.7
Proof:
43 Proof | 86% ABV
Age:
10 years
Distillery:
Presenter:
Patrick Burke
Reception:
To the south—way, way to the south—we find Laphroaig. Distilled on the island of Islay, this spirit was a whole different kind of monster. If you were in the room, you could tell this one was going to be divisive just from the sounds of groaning and the light mutterings of “oh, God…” and “oh crap” coming from people before they even tasted it. These noises only increased as Society members took their first sips. This spirit brought with it some vivid imagery from the group, including all manner of decaying cabins with dim root cellars, childhood memories of horse stables, bourbon and benedictine, and the flavor one gets in one’s mouth when they’re administered a drug via IV. It was unpredictable which of these metaphors would be deployed favorably or not. People identified notes of peat, smoke, pepper, and cherry. Also wood cleaner, ashtrays, and dirt. When tried with water, the spirit became more drinkable, but there was no consensus on whether it became better. No one could deny that the spirit made an impression, and this bottle garnered the lowest individual score in Society history (1.5) with all scores split from 2.5 down and 4 up—no moderate reactions here. Laphroaig was hated by some and loved by others, but it also created one of the most impassioned and energized roundtables we’ve had.
