Old Pulteney 2012 Cask #607

An official Old Pulteney single malt at 11 year old, from 2012, drawn from cask 607 and bottled at 55.9%. The outturn was 246 bottles. Set at Wick, on the windswept northeast coast, Pulteney has distilled since 1826. Water comes from Loch Hempriggs, carried by a lade Thomas Telford laid in 1807.

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. At a youthful age the fruit is lively and the sea salt clear. Sea air works through the warehouse, lending a saline thread as the whisky breathes by the shore. Honey, beeswax and sea salt are the threads that run through the range. The distillery has worn the title of the Maritime Malt for good reason. Wick built its fortune on herring and whisky, the silver and the gold of the north.

At a full 55.9% it is intense. A gentle vanilla and coconut from the wood, with honeyed wax and a saline lift. The texture is oily and coating, the salt threaded through. A gently briny finish lingers warm. This is a coastal Highland malt from the edge of the country.