Old Pulteney 2007 YoSp (Young Spirits)

This is an Old Pulteney single malt, chosen and bottled by Young Spirits at 14 year old, from 2007, drawn from cask 700734 and bottled at 55.5%. Only 246 bottles were released. Set at Wick, on the windswept northeast coast, Pulteney has distilled since 1826. For years it was the most northerly distillery on the Scottish mainland.

It was run through the unusual stills, the wash still topped flat where the swan neck was cut, before resting in warehouses within sight of the harbour. An American oak cask shaped it, flattering the waxy, honeyed make. Around twelve to fifteen years the malt rounds into honey, citrus and sea air. Time in oak builds a honeyed weight over the fresh, briny new make. For decades this was the most northerly distillery on the Scottish mainland. It is one of the last true urban distilleries, set among the streets of Pulteneytown. Inver House has built its single malt range around the distillery since 1995.

At its natural 55.5% it is deep and honeyed. A gentle vanilla and coconut from the wood runs under a coastal salinity. Soft brine and orchard fruit sit behind the sweetness. It closes long, salty and honeyed. This is a briny, oily dram from the North Sea coast.