Old Pulteney 2012 HiSp The Young Rebels No. 5 (Hidden Spirits)

Hidden Spirits bottled this Old Pulteney single malt, aged 5 year old, from 2012 and bottled at 50%. Old Pulteney was established in 1826 in the fishing town of Wick, Caithness; it still distils beside the sea at Wick. The distillery closed in 1930 when Wick went dry, and reopened only in 1951.

Distilled on Loch Hempriggs water in stills whose shape has not changed since the 1820s, the make was then laid down by the sea for its briny, honeyed style. Ex-Bourbon casks held the spirit, soft oak that lets the coastal character lead. At this age the spirit is fresh and briny, the citrus and vanilla bright. Maturation by the sea is central to the house style, the brine settling into the malt. Old Pulteney is matured within sight of the harbour that gave Wick its name. The far north cold draws a clean, bright spirit and a slow take on the oak. Casks rest within sight of the harbour that once shipped herring across Europe.

At a hearty 50% it carries real weight. Salt spray and beeswax sit alongside a touch of oak sweetness underneath. A beeswax and a saline tang give it real body. A gently briny finish lingers warm. This is the salty, honeyed signature of Wick.