Old Pulteney 25 Years Old

An official Old Pulteney single malt, a 25 year old coastal malt, and bottled at 46%. Old Pulteney was built in 1826 beside the harbour at Wick in the far north; it stands among Scotland's most northerly distilleries. For years it was the most northerly distillery on the Scottish mainland.

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 ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, gentle American oak beneath the brine. At this age it is polished and waxy, the sea salt folded into a rich, honeyed body. Long, cool ageing builds the oily texture Pulteney is known for. 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. The honeyed, waxy core is the signature of the maritime malt of the far north. Robert Cumming reopened the silent distillery in 1951 as demand for whisky returned.

At 46% it is soft, waxy and coastal. Vanilla and a little cream from the barrel runs under salt spray and beeswax. A beeswax and a saline tang give it real body. Sea salt and honey see out a long finish. This is a briny, oily dram from the North Sea coast.