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24th October 2012 |
Old Pulteney
21 year old takes the Whisky Bible 2012
world whisky crown.
 The
most northerly distillery on mainland
Britain and one of the most remote in
all Scotland has won the coveted title
of World Whisky of the Year in the 2012
edition of Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.
The Pulteney distillery in Wick,
Caithness, scored a record-equaling 97.5
points out of 100 for its 21-year-old
Old Pulteney single malt. It is only the
third time that a single malt has ever
won the prestigious award, and just the
second Scottish distillery to do so.
This year Jim Murray tasted over 1,200
new whiskies plus many more re-tastes
for the latest edition of his
best-selling annual whisky guide.
Pulteney distillery, which dates back to
1826, is located in the heart of Wick
and is much prized as a blending whisky.
It is still relatively unknown as a
single malt.
But Mr Murray, who has long admired the
Highland malt, hopes that will now
change - though he is the first to admit
that even he was surprised when he
encountered the 21-year-old.
He said: "I was on the home straight
after four months of continuous tasting.
By that time I was pretty sure I knew
what the winner was going to be. With
what I still had to taste it needed
something exceptional to knock the
leader off its perch. But that’s exactly
what happened. To be honest, I was
amazed. I knew the Old Pulteney
17-year-old was likely to be
exceptional, and it was. However, I had
never come across a Pulteney 21-year-old
like it. Talk about coming out of
leftfield….
"I first went to Pulteney nearly 25
years ago and I have never known them to
produce anything other than top rate
malt. Owned by a relatively small
company, without the financial muscle of
the major whisky barons to market their
malts on the global stage, I hope that
this award helps Pulteney to become
better known around the world; that is
the whole point of my Whisky Bible,
after all."
Second and third Whiskies of the World
went to went to US bourbons George T.
Stagg and Parker’s Heritage collection
Wheated Mash Bill Bourbon Aged 10 years,
respectively.
In picking up the second placed title
with its bourbon brand, George T. Stagg,
Buffalo Trace distillers continues to
outperform all other competitors in the
World Whisky Awards, which were first
presented in1994. Since this date,
Buffalo Trace has won no fewer than
seven top awards including three World
Whisky of the Year titles and this
year’s runner up place for its George T.
Stagg bourbon. "Buffalo Trace continues
to be one of the greatest distilleries
in the world today", continues Mr
Murray. "Their ability, drive, and
passion to produce whiskies of the
highest quality year in, year out,
without exception is truly and
unreservedly astonishing."
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2012 Whisky Bible Whisky of the Year
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Read Jim Murray’s
tasting note for the 2012 World Whisky
Of The Year Old Pulteney 21 year
old
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Top 3 World Whisky Award Winnners
2012
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2012 World Whisky of the Year:
Old Pulteney 21 Years old
Second Finest Whisky in the World 2012:
George T. Stagg
Third Finest Whisky in the World 2012:
Parker’s Heritage Collection Wheated
Mash Bill
Bourbon Aged 10 Years
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Category winners
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Scotch Whisky of the Year:
Old Pulteney 21 Years Old
Single Malt of the Year (Multiple cask):
Old Pulteney 21 Years Old
Single Malt of the Year (Single cask):
Scott’s Selection Highland Park 1981
Best Scotch New Brand:
Clan Gold Blended
Scotch Blend of the Year:
Ballantine’s 17
Years Old
Scotch Grain of the Year:
Clan Deny Cambus
47 Years Old
Scotch Vatted Malt of the Year:
Johnnie
Walker Green Label 15 Years Old
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Single Malt Scotch
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No Age Statement (Multiple cask):
Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX
No Age Statement (runner up):
Laphroaig
Quarter Cask
10 Years and Under (Multiple cask):
Ardbeg
10 Years Old
10 Years and Under (Single cask):
SMWS
126.2 Aged 10 Years (Hazelburn)
11-15 Years Old (Multiple cask):
The
Macallan Fine Oak 12 Years Old
11-15 Years Old (Single cask):
Berry’s Own
Selection Clynelish 1997
16-21 Years Old (Multiple cask):
Old
Pulteney 21 Years Old
16-21 Years Old (Single cask):
The
GlenDronach Single Cask 1992
22-27 Years Old (Multiple cask):
Highland
Park Aged 25 Years
22-27 Years Old (Single cask):
Malts of
Scotland Port Ellen 1983
28-34 Years Old (Multiple cask):
Benromach
Years Old 30
28-34 Years Old (Single cask):
Scott’s
Selection Highland Park 1981
35-40 Years Old (Multiple cask):
Balvenie
Aged 40 Years Batch 2
35-40 Years Old (Single cask):
Peerless
Glen Grant 40 Years Old
41 Years and Over (Multiple cask):
Highland Park 50 Years Old
41 Years and Over (Single cask):
Gordon
and MacPhail Glenlivet 1954
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Blended Scotch
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No Age Statement (Standard):
Ballantine’s Finest
No Age Statement (Premium):
Royal Salute
62 Gun Salute
5-12 Years:
Johnnie Walker Black Label 12
Years Old
13-18 Years:
Ballantine’s 17 Years Old
19 - 25
Years:
William Grant’s 25
Years Old
26 - 50 Years
:
The Last Drop 50 Years Old
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Irish Whiskey of the Year
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Irish Whiskey
of the Year:
Powers John’s
Lane Release Aged 12 Years
Irish Single
Malt of the Year:
Sainsbury’s
Dún Léire Aged 8 Years
Irish Blend
of the Year:
Jameson Rarest
2007 Vintage Reserve
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American Whiskey
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Bourbon of the Year:
George T. Stagg (143 proof)
Rye of the Year:
Thomas H. Handy Sazerac
(126.9 proof)
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Bourbon
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No Age Statement (Multiple barrel):
George T. Stagg (143 proof)
No Age Statement (Single barrel):
Four Roses Single Barrel
9 Years & Under:
Virgin Bourbon 7 Years Old (101 Proof)
10-17 Years (Multiple Barrels):
Parker’s
Heritage Collection Wheated Mash Bill
Aged 10 Years (124.2 proof)
18 Years &
Over (Single Barrel):
Elijah
Craig 18 Years Old Single Barrel
18 Years & Over (Multiple Barrel):
Evan
Williams 23 Year Old
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Rye
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No Age Statement:
Thomas Handy Sazarac (126.9 proof)
11 Years & Over:
High West Rocky Mountain
21 Year Old
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Canadian Whisky of the Year
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Crown Royal Special Reserve
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Japanese Whisky of the Year
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Hibiki Aged 21 Years
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European Whisky
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European Whisky of the Year
(Multiple):
Mackmyra Moment
“Urberg”
European Whisky of the Year
(Single):
Penderyn Bourbon
Matured Single Cask
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World Whiskies
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Indian Whisky of the Year:
Amrut Two Continents 2nd Edition
New World
Whisky of the Year:
Kavalan
Solist Fino Single Cask
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Jim Murray Liquid Gold Awards
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Created to recognise whisky-making
excellence around the world some 231 new
whiskies, scoring 94 points or more,
have been awarded Liquid Gold Awards in
the 2012 Whisky Bible.
Representing just 5.1 % of all the
whiskies tasted for the 2012 edition
they are, says Mr. Murray "the elite;
the very finest you can find on whisky
shelves around the world. Rare and
precious they are liquid gold".
A full account of the 2012 World Whisky
Awards can be found in Jim Murray's
Whisky Bible 2012 published today (24
October 2011). And with over 4,500
tasting notes, including 1,200 of the
very latest releases, the 'Whisky Bible'
remains the definitive and most up to
date guide available.
Whisky Bible 2012 Now Available From
Amazon
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