Old Pulteney 2006 Cask #1454

An official Old Pulteney single malt, aged 16 year old, from 2006, drawn from cask 1454 and bottled at 52.2%. Only 270 bottles were released. Old Pulteney was built in 1826 beside the harbour at Wick in the far north; it stands among Scotland's most northerly distilleries. Water comes from Loch Hempriggs, carried by a lade Thomas Telford laid in 1807.

The spirit was made in copper stills of singular shape, fed by soft northern water, and matured on the Caithness coast for a salty lift. An American oak cask shaped it, flattering the waxy, honeyed make. Past a decade the honey and wax build, knitting with the coastal salt. Time in oak builds a honeyed weight over the fresh, briny new make. Wick built its fortune on herring and whisky, the silver and the gold of the north. Everything once moved by sea here, barley in and casks out across the North Sea. The water runs from Loch Hempriggs along a lade Thomas Telford laid in 1807.

At a hearty 52.2% it carries real weight. Vanilla and a little cream from the barrel, with honeyed wax and a saline lift. The texture is oily and coating, the salt threaded through. Sea salt and honey see out a long finish. This is a coastal Highland malt from the edge of the country.