Old Pulteney 2002 Whisky Barrel Chunks – 500g
£29.90
These Old Pulteney whisky barrel chunks are cut from the original oak staves of a cask from Wick, marked 2002. I prepare the pieces myself in my wee workshop near Loch Lomond. The whisky has gone, but the oak still carries a distinct aroma: wood with a working life behind it and another use ahead.
The whisky-facing side of the stave
The inside of a whisky stave has a different story from its outside. Its darker face comes from the barrel's original charring, and it is the surface the whisky touched. During maturation, spirit soaked into the wood beneath the char. When I saw through the stave, I open up oak that has been in contact with that spirit, rather than just cutting a piece of ordinary timber.
American white oak takes part in the whisky's development: it takes up spirit within the grain while releasing its own aromatic compounds. Vanilla, coconut and sweet oak are familiar examples of that influence. In these chunks, the original inner face meets freshly exposed grain, with the cask's lingering aroma still part of the material.
I leave the wood unpainted and add no further treatment after cutting. It comes straight from reclaimed staves, rather than from new oak flavoured to imitate a whisky cask.
Aroma to explore
The chunks may retain hints of bright citrus, honey, vanilla and a maritime edge, taking their cue from Old Pulteney's whisky style. These are possible aroma directions inferred from the distillery's profile, rather than tasting notes measured for this batch. The source cask and your own method will shape what you discover.
Three ways to give the oak a new use
Spirit infusion: explore oak finishing with rum, neutral spirit or an existing whisky, using suitably prepared wood in a small trial.
Home-brewed beer: try oak conditioning with an amber ale or porter, after preparing the wood for brewing. Treat the style pairing as an experiment.
BBQ smoking: use as smoking wood in a suitable charcoal barbecue or smoker for meat, fish or vegetables, following your equipment's guidance.
Your 500g pack
One 500g net pack of Old Pulteney barrel-stave chunks. Piece sizes, shapes and grain vary. The year marking identifies the cask; it is not a whisky age statement. No additional treatment after cutting; supplied not sanitised. Prepare appropriately before contact with drinks. Use small trials and check progress; there is no single dose or contact time for every drink.
The barrel is not included. Lifestyle images illustrate possible uses; the original photographs show the actual barrel wood.
