Old Pulteney

SCOTCH SINGLE MALT WHISKIES > O

OLD PULTENEY

12 years old

40 %

PulteneyDistillery Co.

Established in 1826 in the town of Wick, Pulteney Distillery is the most northerly distillery on the Scottish mainland and at that time was only accessible by sea. The barley was brought in by sea, the Whisky shipped out by boat and many of the distillery workers were also employed as fisherman. During the herring boom of the 19th century over 10.000 people were employed in the industrie, many were coopers making up to 8 barrels each day to hold cured herring for export to Russia and Germany.

Old Pulteney's whisky however, was not openly concumed by the citizens. The sale of alcohol was prohibited, for Wick, the world's busiest herring fishing port, was then a wild place with much imported labour.

Prohibition was lifted in May 1947

Sadly the herring industrie is no longer part of daily life in Wick and the mari¬time coopering trade disappeared.

Robert Louis Stevenson wrote: 'A strange and beautiful sight to see the fleet put silently out against a rising moon, the sea-line rough as a wood with sails, and ever and again and one after another, a boat flitting swiftly by the silver disk'.

OLD PULTENEY

15 years old

60,6 %
Cask Strenght
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Single Cask Bottling
Cask No. 0000930
Pulteney Distillery Co.

OLD PULTENEY

15 years old

60,8 %
LAST BOTTLE AND EMPTY
Cask Strenght
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Limited Edition
Sherry Wood
Sherry Cask No. 1525
Distilled 9 December 1983
Bottled March 1998
Pulteney Distiller Co.

OLD PULTENEY

18 years old

59,5%
Cask Strenght
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Single Cask
Sherry Wood
Limited Edition
Sherry Cask No. 1499
Distilled 9 December 1982
Bottled August 2001
Pulteney Distillery Co.

OLD PULTENEY

26 years old

46 %

HIGHLAND SELECTION
Bourbon Cask
Limited Edition
Distilled 1974
Bottled 2001
1600 bottles
Pulteney Distillery, Wick.

Appearance: Rich, golden honey. Nose: Medium to high intensity. Slightly woody with hints of vanilla. Palate: Medium bodied, sweet, slichtly floral with a warm oaky finish.

OLD PULTENEY

8 years old

40%
RARE HIGHLAND MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY
Proprietors: J. & G. Stodart
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

OLD PULTENEY

8 years old

57%
RARE HIGHLAND MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY
Proprietors: J. & G. Stodart
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

OLD PULTENEY

15 years old

40 %
RARE SINGLE HIGHLAND MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY
The Northernmost Distillery on the Mainland
Trademark of Proprietors:
J. & G. Stodart Ltd, Wick, Caithness
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

A feature that has not changed since the foundation of Old Pulteney is its

water source. Both process and cooling water comes from Loch of Hempriggs,

via the longest lade or millstream in Europa, 3 ½ long with a drop of only 3,8 m

feet, is was designed by Thomas Telford to supply water to all Pulteneytown

and is still in perfect working order and until 1920, the water drove a waterwheel

which supplied all the power to the distillery.

Wick by the middle of the 19th century, Wick had become the leading herring

port in Europe, with 1122 boats fishing from here at the height of the Herring Boom.

This provided employment for 3800 fishermen and 4000 people from associated

trade creating a ready market for whisky.

OLD PULTENEY

Distilled 1961

40%
RARE HIGHLAND MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY
Proprietors: J. & G. Stodart
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

OLD PULTENEY

33 years old

40%
RARE SINGLE HIGHLAND MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY
The Northernmost Distillery on the Mainland
Distilled 1964
Bottled 1997
Trademark of Proprietors:
The Pulteney Distillery Co, Ltd.
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

OLD PULTENEY

31 years old

46%
RARE SINGLE HIGHLAND MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY
The Northernmost Distillery on the Mainland
Distilled 1968
Bottled 1999
Single Cask No. 3248
Proprietors: The Pulteney Distillery Co.,
Ltd Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

PULTENEY

12 years old

43 %
THE ULTIMATE SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY SELECTION
Distilled 26/4/90
Bottled 6/11/2002
Cask no. 25005
Matured in a Bourbon Barrel
Genummerde flessen
The Ultimate Whisky Company, N.L.

OLD PULTENEY

26 years old

58,3 %
PEERLESS
CASK STRENGTH RARE AULD
SCOTCH WHISKY
A Unique Whisky of Distinction
Fons et Origo
Distilled 1977
Bottled 2004
Cask No 3078
209 numbered bottles

OLD PULTENEY

15 years old

46 %
Distilled 1986
Bottled September 2001
Non Chill - Filtered
Limited Edition
Pulteney Distillery Co.

OLD PULTENEY

20 years old

57,5%
Distilled 1983
Bottled Februari 2003
Cask No. 6181
Single Cask Bottling
Limited Edition
Pulteney Distillery Co.

PULTENEY

15 years old

43 %
LAST BOTTLE AND EMPTY
THE ULTIMATE SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY SELECTION
Distilled 27/10/89
Bottled 29/3/05
Matured in a Bourbon Barrel
Cask no. 12172
Numbered Bottles
The Ultimate Whisky Company, N.L

OLD PULTENEY

21 years old

46 %

1983 - 2004
NINETEEN EIGHTY THREE
THE GENUINE MARITIME MALT
Limited Edition
Special Edition
No Chill Filtration
No Colouring
Pulteney Distillery, Wick

Appearance: Golden amber with straw highlights

Nose: Full bodied with traces of fruits (apples and pears) slightly fragrant with spicy overtones

Tasting Notes: Sweet to start with a light fruitiness, hints of honey and vanilla followed by a dry finish.

PULTENEY

16 years old

46 %
THE ULTIMATE SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY SELECTION
Single Highland
Malt Distilled: 27/10/89
Matured in a Bourbon barrel
Cask no: 12179
Bottled: 13/02/06
Numbered Bottles
Natural Colour
Non Chillfiltered
The Ultimate Whisky Company, N.L.

OLD PULTENEY

Aged 17 years

46 %
THE GENUINE MARITIME MALT
Special Edition Cask Bottling
Non Chill-Filtered
Pulteney Distillery Co, Wick

PULTENEY

Aged 28 Years

58,6 %
RARE AULD SC0TCH WHISKY
CASK STRENGHT
Unique Whiskies of Distinction
´Fons et Origo´
D T C
date distilled 07.1977
date bottled 11.2005
cask no. 3077
204 Numbered Bottles
No Chill Filtering or Colouring
of any kind
Duncan Taylor & Co, Ltd,
Huntly, Aberdeenshire

OLD PULTENEY

Aged 15 Years

54,9 %
1991
NINETEEN NINETY ONE
CASK STRENGHT
THE GENUINE MARITIME MALT
Numbered Bottles
Old Pulteney Distillery Co, Wick

OLD PULTENEY

Aged 30 years

44 %

Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distilled, Matured & Bottled in Scotland
Neither coloured nor chill - filtered
by Pulteney Distillery Co, Wick

Our Maritime History

One of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, the Pulteney Distillery was founded in 1826 in Wick

by James Henderson, during the town’s ‘herring boom’. At the time, the town was only accessible by sea; barley was shipped into Wick and the whisky shipped out. Many of the original distillery

workers were also herring fishermen

The herring industrie was vital to Wick, which became the busiest fishing port in Europe, with the

fleet reaching its peak of more than 1000 boats in the 1850s and 1860s

At this time it was said that you could walk across the harbour from one pier to another without

getting your feet wet

With over 7000 workers arriving in the town each herring season, Wick became a wild, lawless

place where rioting was common. With the Reverend Thomson claiming that more than 500 gallons of whisky were being drunk in the town each day, and troops and gunboats being called

in to keep the peace, the authorities imposed prohibition. Although prohibition was not lifted

until 1947, the Pulteney Distillery continued to produce whisky in the town, even though it was

by law, dry. In 1997, 50 years to the day after the repeal of prohibition, Old Pulteney 12 Year Old

Highland Single Malt Whisky was launched

A Unique Distillery

The most northerly distillery on the British mainland, Pulteney Distillery is one of the few distilleries to be named after a person; Sir William Johnstone Pulteney, who gave his name to

Pulteneytown in Wick. Pulteneytown was built (along with the harbour and bridge) by the world –

famous engineer Thomas Telford using money confiscated from the Jacobite chiefs after Bonnie

Prince Charlie’s failed revolution.

Pulteney Distillery is itself one of the most unusual malt distilleries, with the wash still having

no ‘swan neck’. It is thought that when the still was delivered it was too tall for the stillhouse

and the manager simply cut the top (of the still) off. This, combined with the distillery’s

windswept location and the use of traditional ‘worm tubs’ to condense the spirit, is credited

with contributing to a malt that has been described as “unashamedly excellent” by leading

whisky writer Jim Murray

All Old Pulteney is bottled in a unique bottle, the shape of which mirrors that of the still at

Pulteney Distillery. Aged for 30 years, this expression features single malt whisky matured in

ex – bourbon (American oak) wood. It is neither coloured nor chill - filtered

Colour:

A bright gold with a copper glow

Nose:

Full and sweet with floral overtones, complex mix of gooseberry, citrus and lemons.

Woody with a hint of chocolate

Taste: Full – bodied single malt with elements of honey and lemons.

Oaky and aromatic with a warm spiciness and sweet long – lasting finish

PULTENEY

VINTAGE 1 9 9 8

14 years old

46 %

Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

SPIRIT OF SCOTLAND

Distilled: 26/08/1998

Selected by Van Wees

September 2012

Cask Type: 1st Fill Bourbon BarreL

Cask No: 1060

Bottled: 21/09/201

Specially Selected Produced and Bottled by

Speymalt Whisky Ditrubutors Limited, Elgin

OLD PULTENEY
ISABELLA FORTUNA

46 %
W K 4 9 9
2ND RELEASE
Exclusive to Travail Retail
Unchill - filtered
Natural Colour
Pulteney Distillery, Wick

Established in 1826 in the town of Wick, the Pulteney Distillery is the most northerly

on the and at that time was only accessible by sea. The barley was brought in by sea

the whisky shipped out by boat and many of the distillery workers were also employed

as fishermen.

During the 19th century, Wick became the capital of the “Herring Boom”which saw the t

own transformed from a remote Highland village into “the greatest fishing station

In the world” with more than 1000 drifters harboured there. The fishing industry was

dominated by the “Herring Drifter”fishing boats, originally sail boats, with the first

recorded steam drifter built in Wick in 1869. All boats from Wick are indentified by the

letters “W K “ in their registration. At the peak of the “Herring Boom” steam drifter numbered

more than 1,800 of which only two seaworthy examples remain intact today.

The fishing industry is no longer part of daily life in Wick but Pulteney Distillery in the heart

the the town, continues to operate using the same traditional distilling methods first

introduced in the 1800’s to create a astonishingly complex single malt, with a rich mineral –

salted spiciness that is the very essence of this remarkable place.

ISABELLA FORTUNA W K 4 9 9

Originally called Isabella and launched in 1890 powered by two big lug sails she plied the

waters of the north east for 86 years. In 1919 she was fitted with a 15 hp Kelvin engine

which was upgraded in 1928 and then again in 1932. All this time her name changed to

Fortuna. In 1976 she was purchased and restored and became the Isabella Fortuna

incorporating both original names. She was acquired in 1997 by the Wick Society where

she remains to this day, the last drifter in Wick harbour.

Colour: Bright light gold

Nose: Light brown sugar and sweet coconut with rich creamy toffee balanced by green apples. Lemon and mandarin noted.

taste: Sweet, soft and delicately complex with chewy vanilla and warm spices, with a

lingering warm finish

OLD PULTENEY

46 %

G O O D H O P E
W K 2 0 9
LIMITED EDITION
EXCLUSIVE TO TRAVEL RETAIL
Natural Colour
Unchill - Filtered
Old Pulteney Distillery Co, Wick

GOOD HOPE W K 209

Built in Wick in 1948 and powered by a

Gardner 152hp engine she was 55 feet

In length and weighed in at 24 tons.

The Good Hope was the first boat in

Wick to install an echo sounder, using

radio navigation to find the ever elusive

shoals of herring.

Colour: Dark copper with bronze highlights

Nose: Smooth and spicy aromas of toffee

and chocolate, traces of hazelnut and

vanilla.

Taste: Sweet to start with hints of citrus

notes, full bodied with overtones of

raisins, chocolate and warm spices lea-

ding to long lasting finish

OLD PULTENEY

46 %

THE MARITIME MALT
S P E C T R U M
W K 2 1 7
LIMITED EDITION
EXCLUSIVE TO TRAVEL RETAIL
Natural Colour
Unchil - Filtered
Old Pulteney Distillery, Wick

SPECTUM

W K 2 1 7

Built in 1920 and made famous as one of the first

Wick drifters to use a pioneering type of fishing

called Anchor Seine Netting. She was also used

in the 1939 – 45 war for harbour service duties.

Appearance: Dark copper with bronze highlights

Aroma: Full bodied, sweet and spicy, with traces

of vanilla, green apples and raisins in the back-

ground,

Tasting Notes: Sweet to start with notes of citrus

fruits and sherry; complex

and well balanced with a long lasting finish.

OLD PULTENEY
Aged 16 years

54.6 %
SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
FROM A SINGLE CASK
Date Distilled: 21st Nov 1997
Society Single Cask: Code 52.19
Cask Type: Refill Hogshead / ex Bourbon
Outturn: One of Only 269 Bottles
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,
The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh
Flapping sails and ship's timbers

We, the Tasting Panel, verify that the Scotch Malt Whisky inside this

bottle has been passed under some of the most scrupulous noses in

the world and approved for release as a Society bottling.

Only single cask whiskies that promise to intrigue, entertain and

delight our members are selected, true to our motto:

"TO LEAVE NO NOSE UPTURNED"

The nose evokes sea breezes and old wooden sailing ships five -

spice powder, honey on toast and salted caramels; coconut,

lemon and jasmine later. The palate has sweet barley, toasted

marshmallows, vanilla and foamy shrimps. (finishing with

liquorice, lemon and teasing spice).

PULTENEY
VINTAGE 2 0 0 8
6 years old

46 %
THE ULTIMATE SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY
Highland Single Malt
Distilled: 27/05/08
Matured in a Bourbon Barrel
Cask no: 800001
Bottled: 06/05/15
Natural Colour
Non Chill Filtered
Selected by The Ultimate Whisky Company.NL

The Northern Highlands
OLD PULTENEY

MARITIME, ALMONDS, FRESH, SEA AIR, WHITE FRUITS

Wick, Caithness. Licentiehouder: The Pulteney Distillery Company Ltd. Het eigendom van Inver House.
Gesticht door James Henderson in 1826, is Pulteney de meest noordelijk gelegen distilleerderij op het vaste land van Schotland.
Sir William J. Pulteney, directeur van de Britse Visserij vereniging is naamgever van de stad.
Wick was in die tijd een heel belangrijke vissershaven.
James Henderson had aanvankelijk een distilleerderij iets meer landinwaarts, maar verhuisde die naar een plek, meer aan de kust gelegen.
De familie Henderson bleef tot 1923 eigenaar van Pulteney, maar ze zagen zich gedwongen de distilleerderij te verkopen als gevolg van de crisis jaren na de eerste wereldoorlog.
James Watson & Co, Ltd, ook de eigenaar van Parkmore en Ord werd de nieuwe eigenaar.
James Watson & Co, Ltd werd een paar jaar later overgenomen door John Dewar & Sons, die vervolgens fuseerden met John Walker en in 1925 samen gingen met de Distillers Company Ltd. (D.C.L). en Pulteney werd gesloten.
Pulteney bleef gesloten tot 1951 toen R. Cumming, een notaris afkomstig van Banff en al de eigenaar van Blablair sinds 1947, de distilleerderij kocht.
Robert Cumming verbouwde de distilleerderij, maar vond geen afzet genoeg voor zijn whisky en verkocht de beide distilleerderijen aan Hiram Walker, nu Allied Domecq.
Allied Domecq ging door met het verbouwen en verbeteren van Pulteney, de ketels (twee) werden vervangen door één grotere en de moutvloeren werden buiten gebruik gesteld.
In 1995 koopt Inver House zowel Balblair als Pulteney.
Old Pulteney heeft als bijnaam de Manzanilla of the North. Het is een heel snel rijpende whisky.
Het koelwater komt van Hempriggs Loch, het proceswater is leidingwater. Old Pulteney kan ongeveer 900.000 liter spirit per jaar produceren. De Mash tun is 38.440 liter. De zes Wash backs zijn elk 23.200 liter.
De Wash still is 16.100 liter en de Spirit still 13.200 liter en ze worden met stoom verhit.
De distilleerderij kat van Pulteney heet Kipper.
William Johnstone Pulteney ( 1729 - 1805 )
Both the whisky and the town are named after Sit William Pulteney, a prominent figure and influential M.P. and once Governor of the British Fisheries Society which had commissioned Thomas Telford to lay out the new township in 1803.
In 1790 William Johnstone Pulteney also endowed the first Chair of Agriculture in Britain at Edinburgh University and nominated Dr. Andrew Coventry to be the first Professor. ( 1790 - 1830 ).

Pulteney's Sensational Still:
Aside from its unique taste, Pulteney has another claim to fam - the unusual shap of one of its stills.
There are two stills at Pulteney, one for each of the distillations needed.
The wash still, which was originally purchased from McTaggert of Campbeltown was slightly too large for Pulteney distillery.
The manager of the distillery, wa that time, felt there was only one way to resolve this problem, cut th still top off!
Although one can never strictly indentify all the factors which lead to a malt's style, such are the number of variables, iy is highly problable that the slightly unusual shape of this wash still contributes to the depth of character present in this single malt.

1824

James Henderson sticht de distilleerderij

en geeft de distilleerderij
de naam Pulteney, naar Sir William Johnstone

Pulteney, directeur van de Britse Visserij Vereniging
1920

James Watson is de nieuwe eigenaar
1923

Buchanan - Dewar neemt James Watson

& Co over en wordt eigenaar van Pul-
teney
1925 Buchanan - Dewar gaat deel

uitmaken van The Distillers Company Limited
(D.C.L.)
1930

De produktie stopt
1951

Pulteney wordt weer opgestart, na te zijn

overgenomen door Robert Cumming
een advokaat die ook Balblair koopt
1955

Robert Cumming verkoopt de distilleerderijen

aan James & George Stodart Ltd,
het eigendom van Hiram Walker & Sons
1958

Pulteney wordt herbouwd
1959

De mouterij wordt gesloten
1961

Allied Breweries neemt J. & G. Stodart over
1981 Allied Breweries verandert zijn naam in Allied

Lyons na de overname van J.
Lyons in 1978
1994

Allied Lyons neemt Pedro Domecq over en

verandert zijn naam opnieuw: Allied
Domecq Plc
1995

Allied Domecq verkoopt Pulteney aan

Inverhouse Distillers
2001

Pacific Spirits of wel Great Oriole Group,

neemt Inverhouse over voor £ 85
miljoen

2004

A 17 year old is released
2005

Kapaciteit: 1.000.000 liter spirit per jaar

A 21 year old is released

2006

International Bveradge Holdings aquires

Pacific Spirits UK

2010

WK 499 Isabella Fortuna is released

2012

A 40 year old and WK 217 Spectrum are

released

2013

Old Pulteney Navigator, The Lighthouse range

with 3 expressions and a Vintage 1990 are

released

2014

A 35 year old released

2015

Dunned Head and Vintage 1989 released

2017

Vintages 1983, 1990, 2006 and a 25 year

old are released

2018

A new core range is launched:

12 years old, Huddart, a 16 years old

and a 8 years old.

2020

Capacity: 1.800.000 Ltrs

Output: 1.600.000 Ltrs

A limited 34 years old released

2022

A limited 38 years old i

2006 Inverhouse changes owners when International Beverage Holdings acquieres
Pacific Spirits U.K.

Highland Malt The Northern Highlands (Old Pulteney) Inver House
Ontstaan door een management - buy - out, onder leiding van Bill Robertson en Angus Graham, die € 8,2 miljoen investeerden.
November 2001 werd Inver House voor E 56 miljoen gekocht door Pacific Spirits, onderdeel van de op de Virgin Islands gevestigde Great Oriole Group van de Thaise zakenman Charoen Sirivadhanabakdi.
Manager van Pacific Spirits is Ooi Boon Aun.
Robertson en Graham ontvangen samen € 37 miljoen en ook de 130 medewerkers ontvangen geld, sommigen € 50.000.
Inbegrepen in de koop zijn de vijf distilleerderijen Knockdhu, Speyburn, (Old) Pulteney Balblair en Balmenach.

Established in 1826 in the town of Wick, Pulteney Distillery is the most northerly distillery on the mainland and at that time was only accessible by sea. The barley was brought in by sea, the Whisky shipped out by boat and many of the distillery workers were also employed as fishermen. Sadly the fishing industry is no longer part of daily life in Wick but Pulteney Distillery continues to operate using the same traditional distilling methods first introduced in the 1800's to create one of the finest Highland Malts available.
Pulteney is one of the most unique Scotch whisky distilleries. The wash still has no swan neck and it is thought that when the original still was delivered, it was to tall for the stillhouse and the manager insisted it was 'cut off. The spirit still resembles a 'Smuggler's kettle' and both undoubtedly contribute to the distinctive character of the whisky.
Once distilled, the spirit is filled into a selection of specially selected bourbon and sherry casks and laid to rest in the distillery warehouses, until the distillery manager decides the optimum time for bottling each od the casks.
Throughout the years of maturation, the casks have taken time to absorb the Northen Scottish sea breeze and as a result, Old Pulteney Single Malt Scotch Whisky is often referred to as 'The Manzanilla of the North'.

One of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, the Pulteney Distillery was founded in 1826 in Wick
by James Henderson, during the town's 'herring boom'. At the time, the town was only accessible by sea; barley was shipped into Wick and the whisky shipped out. Many of the original distillery
workers were also herring fishermen

INVER HOUSE DISTILLERS

Company Overview

Founded in 1964, Inver House Distillers is the Group's wholly owned Scotch Whisky subsidiary. Within its portfolio there are five distilleries - Pulteney, Balblair, Knockdhu, Speyburn and Balmenach - each producing its own distinctive, individual single malt whisky.

Inver House is also highly active in the warehousing and blending of Scotch whisky, with its main warehousing and head office being centrally located in Airdrie. This is perfectly placed to service the international marketplace with warehousing for 500,000 barrels of whisky plus state of the art blending and laboratory facilities.

Inver House produces more than just whisky, currently distilling the premium brand, Caorunn Gin at Balmenach Distillery and also produces vodka brands from its Airdrie site. From its range of whisky, gin, and vodka Inver House invites you to enjoy this unrivalled collection.

Company History

Inver House Distillers was established in 1964 as a subsidiary of the American company, Publicker Industries. In the 1970's the Scotch Whisky industry faced competition from other spirit categoreis and coupled with the death of its American Chairman, Publicker Industries did not focus its business interests in its Scottish subsidiaries. As a result of this, the malt and grain distilleries at the Scottish site in Airdrie became surplus to requirements and were closed in 1985 and 1986.

The substantial warehousing, blending and office facilities all remained, and do so to this day, as do the state of the art Gin, Vodka and Cream Production Facilities.

However, following the takeover by the management team in 1988, and the revival of the Scotch Whisky industry, Inver House Distillers purchased 5 highly regarded malt distilleries over a period of 9 years. Since then Inver House has gone from strength to strength in its commitment to a worldwide market. This continued commitment was recognised in 1992 with the granting of the Queen's Award for Export Achievement.

In October 2001, Inver House entered a new chapter when it was purchased by Pacific Spirit (U.K.) Ltd, now International Beverage Holdings Limited (InterBev) - the international arm of Asia's leading drinks business, the Thai Beverage Public Company Limited (ThaiBev) with an outstanding portfolio of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wine and beer categories.

Being part of a larger group ensures the company's continued success in an increasingly competitive market place.

The herring industrie was vital to Wick, which became the busiest fishing port in Europe, with the
fleet reaching its peak of more than 1000 boats in the 1850s and 1860s

At this time it was said that you could walk across the harbour from one pier to another without
getting your feet wet

With over 7000 workers arriving in the town each herring season, Wick became a wild, lawless
place where rioting was common. With the Reverend Thomson claiming that more than 500 gallons

of whisky were being drunk in the town each day, and troops and gunboats being called
in to keep the peace, the authorities imposed prohibition. Although prohibition was not lifted
until 1947, the Pulteney Distillery continued to produce whisky in the town, even though it was
by law, dry. In 1997, 50 years to the day after the repeal of prohibition, Old Pulteney 12 Year Old
Highland Single Malt Whisky was launched

The most northerly distillery on the British mainland, Pulteney Distillery is one of the few distilleries

to be named after a person; Sir William Johnstone Pulteney, who gave his name to
Pulteneytown in Wick. Pulteneytown was built (along with the harbour and bridge) by the world -
famous engineer Thomas Telford using money confiscated from the Jacobite chiefs after Bonnie
Prince Charlie's failed revolution.

Pulteney Distillery is itself one of the most unusual malt distilleries, with the wash still having
no 'swan neck'. It is thought that when the still was delivered it was too tall for the stillhouse
and the manager simply cut the top (of the still) off. This, combined with the distillery's
windswept location and the use of traditional 'worm tubs' to condense the spirit, is credited
with contributing to a malt that has been described as "unashamedly excellent" by leading
whisky writer Jim Murray

All Old Pulteney is bottled in a unique bottle, the shape of which mirrors that of the still at
Pulteney Distillery. Aged for 30 years, this expression features single malt whisky matured in
ex - bourbon (American oak) wood. It is neither coloured nor chill - filtered

Established in 1826 in the town of Wick, the Pulteney Distillery is the most northerly
on the and at that time was only accessible by sea. The barley was brought in by sea
the whisky shipped out by boat and many of the distillery workers were also employed
as fishermen.

During the 19th century, Wick became the capital of the "Herring Boom"which saw the

town transformed from a remote Highland village into "the greatest fishing station
In the world" with more than 1000 drifters harboured there. The fishing industry was
dominated by the "Herring Drifter"fishing boats, originally sail boats, with the first
recorded steam drifter built in Wick in 1869. All boats from Wick are indentified by the
letters "W K " in their registration. At the peak of the "Herring Boom" steam drifter

numbered more than 1,800 of which only two seaworthy examples remain intact today.

The fishing industry is no longer part of daily life in Wick but Pulteney Distillery in the heart
the the town, continues to operate using the same traditional distilling methods first
introduced in the 1800's to create a astonishingly complex single malt, with a rich mineral -
salted spiciness that is the very essence of this remarkable place.

ISABELLA FORTUNA W K 4 9 9
Originally called Isabella and launched in 1890 powerd by two big lug sails she plied the
waters of the north east for 86 years. In 1919 she was fitted with a 15 hp Kelvin engine
which was upgraded in 1928 and then again in 1932. All this time her name changed to
Fortuna. In 1976 she was purchased and restored and became the Isabella Fortuna
incorporating both original names. She was acquired in 1997 by the Wick Society where
she remains to this day, the last drifter in Wick harbour.

6th February 2013
The Spirit Safe is replaced , built by Blairs of Glasgow, but not brand new, is was originally
at the Glenflagler distillery in Airdrie which closed in 1985.

The Spirit Safe had only been used for 19 years.

In addition th this the cooper on the stills has been newly - lacquered and also a new mash
tun is installed.

GOOD HOPE W K 209
Built in Wick in 1948 and powered by a
Gardner 152hp engine she was 55 feet
In length and weighed in at 24 tons.
The Good Hope was the first boat in
Wick to install an echo sounder, using
radio navigation to find the ever elusive
shoals of herring.

SPECTUM
W K 2 1 7
Built in 1920 and made famous as one of the first
Wick drifters to use a pioneering type of fishing
called Anchor Seine Netting. She was also used
in the 1939 - 45 war for harbour service duties.

1 September 2013
The Lighthouse Collection:
This Collection features 3 different additions: Noss Head, Duncansby Head, Pentland
Skerries, each bears the name of a lighthouse close to the Pulteney Distillery.

Pulteney an Old Pulteney yacht is one of the ships of the Clipper 2013 -2014 Round
the World Yacht Race, skippered by Dutchman Patrick van der Zijden.

A feature that has not changed since the foundation of Old Pulteney is its
water source. Both process and cooling water comes from Loch of Hempriggs,
via the longest lade or millstream in Europa, 3 ½ long with a drop of only 3,8 m
feet, is was designed by Thomas Telford to supply water to all Pulteneytown
and is still in perfect working order and until 1920, the water drove a waterwheel
which supplied all the power to the distillery.

Wick by the middle of the 19th century, Wick had become the leading herring
port in Europe, with 1122 boats fishing from here at the height of the Herring Boom.

This provided employment for 3800 fishermen and 4000 people from associated
trade creating a ready market for whisky.

WICK, WHISKY AND THE HERRING BOOM

Silver and gold… The history of the remote Highland town of Wick is all about the ‘silver darlings’ – the shoals of herring that brought 19th-century prosperity – and whisky, the golden ‘nectar of Caithness’.

Pulteney distillery has endured through most of Wick’s rollercoaster history

Whisky flows through the teeming pages of Wick’s rich history, from 17th-century battles through the Victorian herring boom and into the crusading efforts of the temperance movement in the 1920s.

In that time, ‘the nectar of Caithness’ has killed people and lured them to their ruin; it has provided a livelihood to many, and been source of relief to many more; and it has, in its darkest days, inspired a period of Prohibition twice as long as that endured in the US.

The shoals of herring – the ‘silver darlings’ that brought so much prosperity to this place – are a distant memory now, and the town hasn’t been ‘dry’ in 70 years. Still, the Pulteney distillery lives on as a physical reminder of Wick’s tribulations, surviving temporary closure and multiple owners to enjoy altogether better times in the early 21st century.

On first impressions, the town has a serious, even severe look about it, drawn up around the focal point of the harbour – which now boasts a modern marina populated by pleasure craft, and RIBs (rigid inflatable boats) offering tourist trips to explore the dramatic coastline and its teeming wildlife.

That’s some contrast to the picture 150 years ago, when there were so many fishing boats moored here that a person could reputedly walk from one side of the harbour to the other without getting their feet wet.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves; whisky first. As in so many parts of Scotland, in this north-eastern corner of the country the national spirit recedes into the mists of history; but, as long ago as the 17th century, it was part of everyday life.

Still standing: But Pulteney distillery was closed for more than 20 years from 1930 - 1951

In July 1680, a dispute over the earldom of Caithness between Lord Glenorchy and George Sinclair led to a violent battle near Wick – the last of its kind on Scottish soil, and one in which whisky played a decisive role.

The story goes that Sinclair’s troops were quartered in Wick on the eve of battle, thinking that its comforts would give them the edge the following morning. They reckoned without the scheming of Glenorchy, however. Historian Thomas Pennant reports:

‘Glenorchy thought proper to add stratagem to force. He knew that in those days whisky was the nectar of Caithness, and in consequence ordered a ship laden with that precious liquor to pass around, and wilfully strand itself on the shore. The Caithnessians made a prize of the vessel, and in indulging themselves too freely, became an easy prey to the Earl.’

The battle the following day was one-sided to say the least, with Sinclair’s hung-over troops driven into the river, many of them drowning.

Shortly after Pennant visited Wick in 1769, a new trade came to the town that was to utterly transform its fortunes for the next century and a half. Herring fishing began to take off from the late 1780s, but the intervention of the British Fisheries Society in the early 1800s led to the creation of Pulteneytown on the southern banks of the Wick river – and the foundation of what was then the world’s biggest herring port.

The scheme was the brainchild of Sir William Pulteney, a remarkable character who, when he died in 1805, was one of the wealthiest men in Europe, with a fortune equivalent to £5bn after judicious investments in the Americas (he is said to have owned half of Manhattan Island).

Governor of the British Fisheries Society, Pulteney commissioned protégé Thomas Telford to draw up plans for a new town and fishing port to fully exploit the nascent herring boom. Pulteney died before it could be completed, but the town (and, later, the distillery) was named in his honour.

Pulteney’s and Telford’s plans were ambitious, but they could scarcely have foreseen what was to come: by the 1830s, the volume of ships was such that an outer harbour had to be added – and that was just the beginning.

More than 1,000 boats moored in Wick every year in the mid-19th century (Photo: The Johnston Collection/The Wick Society)

In 1862, more than 1,100 fishing vessels were based at Wick for the summer season; the population of the town, normally just a few thousand, multiplied by three or four times when the herring fleet was in.

Some lived on their boats, others in dormitories above the curing sheds, or in attics, cellars and outhouses. Outbreaks of cholera, typhoid and diphtheria were a frequent threat.

Robbed of home and livelihood by the Highland Clearances, many had trekked for 100 miles across wild country for a chance of work and pay. Most had little or no experience of fishing; accidents and fatalities were frequent as a result.

Not just men, either. The ‘herring lassies’ descended on Wick in their many hundreds, spending 12 weeks each summer gutting and packing the ‘silver darlings’ before following the herring south to Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.

The peak was reached in 1867 when, it is said, 3,500 herring lassies gutted 50 million herring at Wick in just two days, packing them into barrels for export to England, to Scandinavia, to Russia and the US.

Some 650 coopers were resident in Wick at this time, coopering 125,000 barrels a year to cope with demand. When the local oak was exhausted, they used larch, birch and fir; when that too was gone, birch, ash and Scandinavian fir were imported from Norway.

This was thirsty work, as one James Henderson was swift to recognise. The records state that he had ‘attended to a small distillery owned by himself’ at the family farm in nearby Stemster from about 1819, but seven years later he abandoned this ‘unofficial’ enterprise to go legit in partnership with local businessman John Kirk. The licensed distillery – then making Henderson’s Whisky and later to become Pulteney – was soon very busy indeed.

Some 50 million of the ‘silver darlings’ were gutted in only 48 hours at Wick in 1867 (Photo: The Johnston Collection/The Wick Society)

During the 1840s, the town had no fewer than 41 licensed premises (20 in Wick, 21 in Pulteneytown) and, in 1844, it’s reckoned that more than 800 gallons of whisky – roughly 5,000 bottles – were being consumed every week. And this wasn’t mature, 40% abv whisky, but fiery new make at about 69% abv.

‘They used to fish every night, starting in the evening when the herring came up to the surface,’ says Malcolm Waring, Pulteney distillery manager. ‘They took stone flagons [of whisky] with them, and they drank.

‘They would sell their catch every day and get paid every day, get their money and go to the pub. There was heavy drinking.’

Despite all of this, Wick was also God-fearing, with the Sabbath strictly observed and prayer meetings heavily attended. There was a strong temperance movement – led, as you’d imagine, by the women who saw precious little of their husbands’ wages – and it is perhaps surprising that Prohibition took so long to come to the town.

When it did, in 1922, times were already radically different. The First World War had taken its toll on the young male population, and the conflict, combined with changing tastes and rampant overfishing, had all but killed the herring boom. ‘There were 18,000 casks of salted herring sitting on the docks when the First World War broke out,’ says Waring.

Fishing continued, moving on to white fish and cod; then, more recently, crab, lobster and scallops – but it never regained the heights of the Victorian age.

Counter-intuitively, Prohibition did not mean the end for the Pulteney distillery; after all, it was a big world beyond the borders of Wick and, even in the town itself, ‘wayfarers’ could still enjoy a drink (but only with a meal).

Pulteney’s stills ran on until 1930, through a few changes of ownership, until the Depression succeeded where Prohibition had failed. The distillery remained silent until 1951, four years after Prohibition in Wick was lifted.

Pulteney distillery was a busy place while the herring boom lasted (Photo: The Johnston Collection/The Wick Society)

It has been in operation ever since, again with several different owners, before passing to Inver House Distillers in 1995. And, though much has changed – most notably through refurbishment in the late 1950s and post-1995 – this quirkiest of distilleries retains a flavour of the past in its cramped conditions, Heath Robinson-esque layout and two of the weirdest stills you’ll ever come across. The spirit, to its credit, is similarly characterful and distinctive.

And now, beyond the distillery doors and downhill to the harbour, there’s a fresh scent of renewal in the air – and not just in the marina and the tourist-carrying RIBs.

Up to £3bn is being invested in offshore wind farms here: a first tranche of 80 or 90 turbines, then – if all goes to plan – another 250, which would create one of the biggest projects of its kind in Europe.

For Wick, this means jobs. About 200, in total, as most of the services for the farms will be located in the town. Some of the old buildings designed by Telford for the fishing trade are being restored, discovering a new life more than two centuries after they were built.

And so the sea is once more bringing a livelihood to the people of Wick. One that may lack the scale of the 19th-century herring boom, but which promises to be far more environmentally sympathetic.

From the harbour, up through the streets of Pulteneytown to the distillery, things are looking up again in this far-flung, but eternally fascinating, corner of Scotland.

Pulteney’s stills are a reminder of the distillery’s past, producing a characterful spirit

The Wick Heritage Museum is a remarkable institution. Staffed by volunteers, it is an incredible resource of artefacts, documents and information, including the Johnston Collection – 100,000 photographs taken between 1863 and 1977 by three generations of the same family. Rabbit warren? Aladdin’s cave? Take your pick – and take your time.

The Wick Heritage Centre, 18-27 Bank Row, Wick, Caithness KW1 5EY; telephone +44 01955 605393. Open from Easter to the end of October, Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm.

You’re advised to book in advance if you want to visit Pulteney distillery. Tours take place at 11am or 2pm, and the visitor centre is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 4pm between October and April; and Monday to Friday 10am-5pm, plus Saturday 10am-4pm, between May and September.

Pulteney Distillery, Huddart Street, Wick, Caithness KW1 5BA; telephone 01955 602371.

Caithness Seacoast promises ‘exhilarating sea tours’ (and they’re not kidding), exploring the East Caithness coastline using its two-engine RIB. Various options, open April to October and in winter by arrangement.

Caithness Seacoast, South Quay, Wick Harbour, Wick, Caithness KW1 5HA; telephone 01955 609200.

Bord de l’Eau restaurant offers an unexpected but enjoyable taste of France in Scotland’s far north, with seafood (as you’d expect) a highlight.

Bord de l’Eau, 2 Market Street, Wick KW1 4AR; telephone 01955 604400.

You can’t really come all this way without visiting John O’Groats, taking the obligatory selfie next to the signpost and gazing wistfully across the water to Orkney. There’s not much to the place, with the stunning exception of Natural Retreats, which offers a selection of luxury apartments and lodges. The view’s not bad either.

Natural Retreats, John O’Groats; telephone 01625 416430.

Old Pulteney 25YO and 1983 Vintage launched

28 September 2017

Old Pulteney 25YO and 1983 Vintage launched

The launches follow the withdrawal of the distillery’s 17-year-old and 21-year-old malts.

Old Pulteney to withdraw 17yo and 21yo

22 June 2017

Old Pulteney to withdraw 17yo and 21yo

Lack of stock means expressions will be discontinued – but no increase in NAS products.

Though Pulteney is no longer mainland Scotland’s most northerly distillery [see Wolfburn] its stills remain the country’s oddest. It is possible that they retain a similar design to that installed by James Henderson which were described as being similar to those as used by smugglers, though these are considerably larger.

Pulteney’s wash still has a massive boil bulb almost as large as the base of the still and a flat top. This helps to produce high levels of reflux and separate specific alcohols. The spirit still has both a purifier pipe and a very convoluted, coiling lyne arm. Again, reflux is maximised here, with that purifier conceivably adding oiliness to the character. Condensing takes place in worm tubs which add weight.

Old Pulteney (as the brand is named) demonstrates this balance between the heavy, leathery and oily, with a fragrant almost ozonic freshness.

From the late 18th century until the start of WWI, the northern port of Wick was the capital of the herring trade. Its huge harbour was built in 1808 and a decade later 822 boats were operating out of the port. By 1860 that number had risen to over 1,000.

This explosion in trade in turn necessitated housing and in 1810 Thomas Telford built a new town on the south bank of the river which he named Pulteneytown after Sir William Pulteney MP, who as head of the Fisheries Board was instrumental in Wick’s expansion.

This rapid increase in population then, inevitably, cried out for a distillery and in 1825, James Henderson, who had been distilling out of sight of the law in Stemster, moved into Pulteneytown and started making whisky.

The Henderson family retained ownership for almost a century before selling in 1920 to Jas. Watson of Dundee. Two years later under the influence of an American evangelist, the Wick town council voted to make the town a ‘dry’ one with no sales of alcohol permitted. Whether this had any influence on Graham is unclear, but in 1924 Old Pulteney had been passed on to John Dewar & Sons and from there was brought within DCL. The distillery remained in production until 1930 when a downturn in the market forced it to close.

Its doors re-opened in 1951 – four years after Wick’s ‘Prohibition’ ended – when local businessman Robert ‘Bertie’ Cumming bought it. He sold it and his other distillery, Balblair, to Canadian giant Hiram Walker in 1955 and from there through a series of mergers it ended up in the Allied Distillers’ stable. When Allied sold it and Balblair to Inver House in 1995 it was in dire need of repair.

Since then, the distillery has been renovated, a visitors' centre has opened and the Old Pulteney brand has been successfully established.

CAPACITY (MLPA) i

1.8

CONDENSER TYPE i

Worm tubs

FERMENTATION TIME i

52 hours

FILLING STRENGTH i

69%

GRIST WEIGHT (T) i

HEAT SOURCE i

Steam and biomass

MALT SPECIFICATION i

Unpeated

MALT SUPPLIER i

Mostly Bairds

MASH TUN MATERIAL i

Stainless steel

MASH TUN TYPE i

Semi-lauter

NEW-MAKE PHENOL LEVEL i

1ppm

NEW-MAKE STRENGTH i

69%

SPIRIT STILL CHARGE (L) i

13,500

SPIRIT STILL SHAPE i

Small squat with purifier (purifer not used)

SPIRIT STILL SIZE (L) i

17,343

STILLS i

WAREHOUSING i

2 racked warehouses and 3 dunnage

WASH STILL CHARGE (L) i

15,000

WASH STILL SHAPE i

Small, squat, large boil bubble, cut off top

WASH STILL SIZE (L) i

21,707

WASHBACK CHARGE (L) i

35,000

WASHBACK TYPE i

5 corten steel, 1 stainless steel

WASHBACKS i

WATER SOURCE i

Loch Hempriggs via The Lade

YEAST TYPE i

Dried distillers M strain

International Beverage Holdings

2006 - present

Inver House Distillers

1995 - present

Allied Lyons

1981 - 1995

Allied Breweries

1961 - 1981

Hiram Walker & Sons

1958 - 1961

Robert Cumming

1951 - 1958

Distiller Company Limited

1925 - 1951

John Dewar & Sons

1924 - 1925

James Watson & Co

1920 - 1924

James Henderson

1826 - 1920

INVERNESS TO WICK AND THURSO

Scotland’s north-east coast is the road less travelled, a place of apparent desolation that conceals a rich culture and history. In whisky terms, too, there is more to this region than meets the eye, and a sense of renewal that balances the losses of history. Rob Allanson sets off up the A9.

We are always told that the adventure in every journey lies in the getting there, not necessarily the destination. But sometimes it’s about picking your moment to go. And weighing up the weather in the north-east of Scotland can be more difficult than reading runes.

As I arrived into Inverness, the weather was great, but by the next morning things had turned grey and overcast as I headed up the road to Thurso and Wick – a road less travelled in distillery terms, but jam-packed full of history.

The road takes you past the mighty Inverness Caledonian Thistle football ground, then across the Kessock Bridge, offering great view across the Firth and the mysterious Black Isle.

The Isle is a place full of human history from ancient to modern, with plenty to explore from fantastic pubs (The Anderson at Fortrose) to Pictish standing stones and a ruined abbey.

Nineteenth-century poet, writer and religious firebrand Hugh Miller was educated in a local parish school, before an apprenticeship to a stonemason – and his work in quarries – led him to the study of geology. Despite having no academic qualifications, he is still considered as one of Scotland’s foremost palaeontologists.

Among his geological works are The Old Red Sandstone (1841), Footprints of the Creator (1850), The Testimony of the Rocks (1857) and Sketchbook of Popular Geology.

Miller moved to Edinburgh as editor of a religious paper, a post he held until, after struggling for years with depression and chronic headaches, he committed suicide, shooting himself in the chest with a revolver in his house on Tower Street, Portobello, on the night of 23 December 1856.

That same night he had finished checking printers' proofs for his book on Scottish fossil plants and vertebrates, The Testimony of the Rocks. His funeral procession, attended by thousands, was among the largest in the memory of Edinburgh residents.

If you wish to walk in the great man’s footsteps, The Hugh Miller Trail starts at a small car park on a minor road just past Eathie Mains, about three miles south of Cromarty, and leads about one mile down a steep slope through woodland to the foreshore at Eathie Haven on the Moray Firth.

It was here that Miller found his first fossil ammonite in Jurassic rocks. The haven, originally a salmon fishing station and later a fishermen’s bothy, is open to the public and has a display board all about the geology of the area, and Miller's fossil discoveries.

Meanwhile, the road stretches on, the pull of the north country magnetic. As you breast the hill, the view over the Firth and the Conon Bridge is spectacular. Somewhere off to our left, as we hit the roundabout, lies Glen Ord distillery. But this is not for us; the A9 is our mistress and she heads north.

The road hugs the coastline now, past the Storehouse of Foulis, where the doorstop sandwiches will offer welcome respite to the hungry. Passing Alness, depending on season and crop rotation, we see vast fields of potatoes rooted in the fertile black soil.

Further up the road you catch glimpses of strange structures out at sea, then closer in to the shore. An alien invasion? Huge, rusty, four-legged death-machines wading ashore in a quiet part of Scotland?

But no; this is where giant North Sea oil rigs are brought under the protective embrace of the firth, are repaired and, in time, come to die.

These metal giants are just the latest occupying force of sea and land. The whole region as we travel further north is drenched in human occupation and stained with the misery and memory of families wrenched from their homes to make way for sheep farming.

The Clearances mostly took place during the 18th and 19th centuries, and saw the eviction of a significant number of tenants in the Scottish Highlands. This so-called agricultural revolution, largely carried out by hereditary and aristocratic landowners, led to the enclosing of common land once farmed by tenant farmers.

Unprotected by the laws of the time, the brutality dealt out to the tenant families during these evictions, often at very short notice, still echoes across this northern land.

After the failure of the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion, and the subsequent bloody repression, the Clearances can be seen as the final blow to the traditional clan system and, ultimately, to much of the Gaelic culture. Often the only option was to emigrate, leaving behind a land that echoed, as in places it still does, to the munching and trudging of sheep.

As the A9 winds its way up to Wick, there is still a clear sense of being in whisky country, despite lacking the frequency of distilleries that you get in Speyside.

Miles of golden sand stretch along the Dornoch Firth

The road signs give away this region’s survivors: Tain, Invergordon, Dalmore and Brora. All worthy stops for the whisky tourist, with Balblair and Teaninich not far off the road too.

‘Survivors’ because this part of the coast once played host to numerous distilleries, and while some buildings can still be found, others are just ghosts on the map: Skelbo (1798), Seafield (1830), Helmsdale (1840), Dunbeath (1795) and Clyth (1798), to name a few.

Legacies of boom and bust, declining production, questions over quality, the rise of DCL (Distillers Company Ltd), other distilleries winning the contracts to supply the major blending houses. The reasons don't matter now, but for the whisky archaeologist this is a fascinating part of the coast.

There is renewal too – at least five reasons to celebrate the revival of this road less travelled: Wolfburn in Thurso (our ultimate destination); Dornoch Castle distillery; at Dingwall, the crowdfunded, community-backed GlenWyvis distillery; plans under way to turn a powerhouse at Dunrobin Castle into a microdistillery; and, just outside Tain, Toulvaddie microdistillery, due to come into operation by May 2017.

The scenery from the road is mesmerising, offering stunning seascapes reminiscent of Japanese photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto. If the sea is flat and the sky is grey, you get that wonderful line-of-the-horizon view. Meanwhile, dramatic weather rolls in, churning the sea, smashing it against the cliffs.

We reach the fishing town of Wick, its heart the harbour, where you can buy fish fresh off the fishing boats, some of them seemingly barely robust enough to tackle the rigours of the North Sea. Wick is home to Pulteney distillery, with its squat stills and oily, salty drams; but it was also one of the last bastions of prohibition in the UK.

It all started with the Temperance movement; backed by an Act of Parliament, it took it upon itself to ban alcohol from this sea-battered town. Even today, the distillery holds a celebration on 28 May, the day in 1922 when every pub closed and all the off-licences removed alcohol from the shelves. This ‘dry’ period continued for nearly twice as long as the more famous American Prohibition, and finally came to an end only in 1945.

The glory days of fishing long gone now, the harbour is quiet for the most part, but the sea continues to exert a strong pull on communities here, with legends of mermaids and other sea creatures filling the local folklore.

Pulteney distillery in Wick hosts an annual celebration marking a local version of Prohibition (Photo: Visit Scotland)

One infamous character stands out in the tales: the pirate John Gow, later in life more associated with Orkney, but born in Wick in 1698. He and his crew terrified local fishermen, stealing their catch and sinking boats.

Gow’s career was eventually cut short on Orkney, and he was taken to London in chains and executed. His exploits live on thanks to Sir Walter Scott and his book The Pirate.

One part of this trip you really have to be prepared for is the Berriedale Braes. This steep, winding part of the road might not look much on the map, but when you are in second gear, feathering the brakes and wondering if the car might roll over, it becomes altogether more impressive. The emergency exit lanes are a constant reminder that sometimes it does go wrong.

Now there are decisions to be made: the longer route up to John O’Groats, braving the selfie sticks at the end of the British mainland – or a left turn inland to Thurso. Thurso it is, out across the flat peat fields of Sutherland, named by the Vikings to whom this land once belonged.

Welcome to the Flow Country. The is one of the true wild places left in the UK, a vast expanse of peat bog stretching for some 4,000 sq km. If you could soar above and get an eagle’s eye view, you would see troughs of water linking pools to others, a mix of colours and light twinkling like a multi-faceted jewel. Breathtaking.

But you are not alone; despite appearances, this region is teeming with rare birds and incredible plants. If you want a place to be inspired by peace and wide open spaces, you’ve just found it.

The ultimate destination for any whisky traveller heading this far north has to be Wolfburn. Now the most northerly mainland distillery, it has brought life back to this remote outpost, where once a handful of distilleries stood. Aptly, this marks the end of this forgotten route, through a land of resilience and rebirth.

For the passenger, a dram; and for the driver? Well, unless you’re thinking of taking the ferry to Orkney, a slap-up meal and then point the car south to Inverness. Stopping, of course, at all those sites you promised yourself you’d visit as you passed them on the way up

With traditional warehouses exposed to the invigorating sea air blowing in off the North Sea, Old Pulteney captures the taste of the sea in every drop of its liquid gold. From subtle coastal chords to more defined salty notes, the flavour of our whiskies says much about the role and influence of our home.

Our whiskies range from award winning, definitive single malts to critically acclaimed limited edition releases, each defined and shaped by our inspiringly distinctive and lively coastal location.

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12 YEARS SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

Old pulteney 12 years old the maritime malt listing

HUDDART

Old pulteney huddart the maritime malt listing

15 YEARS OLD SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

Old pulteney 15 years old the maritime malt listing

18 YEARS OLD SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

Old pulteney 18 years old the maritime malt listing

PINEAU DES CHARENTES SINGLE MALT SCOTCH

35196 old pulteney coastal series pineau de charentes 12 05 22 02 (5) listing

25 YEAR OLD SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

Old pulteney core range 25yo box listing

OLD PULTENEY 10 YEARS OLD TRAVELLER’S EXCLUSIVE

Op 600x600px 10yo listing

OLD PULTENEY VINTAGE 2006 TRAVELLER'S EXCLUSIVE

Op 600x600px 2006 listing

OLD PULTENEY 16 YEARS OLD TRAVELLER'S EXCLUSIVE

Op 600x600px 16yo listing

FLOTILLA 2008 VINTAGE

Old pulteney core range flotilla packshot adj v2 listing

CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATORY PACK

Old pulteney cny standard 12yo giftpack glasses aw nov listing

Old Pulteney launches The Coastal Series - with four new whiskies matured in 'seaside casks'

Old Pulteney, The Maritime Malt, has announced the introduction of a new collection of whiskies: The Coastal Series.

September 25, 2022

The Old Pulteney Coastal Series comprises four limited edition expressions, and to create the series, Old Pulteney has partnered with spirits makers from coastal locations around the world that will bring new coastal flavours to the ‘Maritime Malt’.

The Coastal Series launches with Old Pulteney Pineau des Charentes, bringing flavours of the French coastline to the whisky.

In new territory for the brand, Old Pulteney’s whisky is further matured in ex-Pineau des Charentes wine casks, carrying echoes of the sweet aperitif native to the Charente-Maritime region on the southwest coast of France.

Matured by the sea, Old Pulteney has, the team say, a distinctively briny taste that captures the essence of its home in Wick, by the North Sea.

Old Pulteney Pineau des Charentes has a lighter, sweeter taste layered on the classic Old Pulteney base.

The whisky is first matured in traditional American oak casks, before further maturation in hand-selected ex-Pineau des Charente casks, created with French oak and carefully selected by Stuart Harvey, master blender.

With sweet and light notes of candied oranges, warm spices and creamy vanilla, the expression replicates the warmth of sunny days at the coast.

A lingering finish showcases notes of caramelised hazelnuts and ground spices, broadening in sweetness, and then drying ever so slowly towards a savoury finale of coastal minerality.

Lindores Abbey Distillery cats revel in their Netflix fame

Presented in a gold gift box with an intricate illustration of the French coastline, the expression will retail at £75 and will be available to purchase from 3 October in the UK, France and Germany from The Whisky Exchange, Old Pulteney Visitor Centre and other specialist whisky retailers.

Malcolm Waring, distillery manager at Old Pulteney, said: “We’re very pleased to introduce Old Pulteney Pineau des Charentes, the first in a new, exciting series by the brand.

"Old Pulteney’s past, present and taste is influenced by its home by the sea on the Caithness Coast, and The Coastal Series beautifully explores cask maturations that highlight wonderful expressions influenced by their global coastal homes.

“Our Pineau des Charentes expression is a beautifully light, fruity single malt that showcases both the flavours of our wonderfully matured spirit, but balanced with the rich sweetness of the Pineau des Charentes, resulting in a truly exquisite expression.”

Old Pulteney Distillery Exclusive

Distillery Exclusive

Exclusively available to buy from Pulteney Distillery and Old Pulteney’s online shop, Old Pulteney Distillery Exclusive. This limited-edition expression is a tribute to our coastal hometown on the Caithness Coast which shapes the character of our whisky.

£85.00

53%

Taste

Toffee

Honey

Vanilla

Spices

Distiled and Matured By the sea

Our Coastal Home

Our connection to our maritime past is as pertinent today as it was over 190 years ago. Created as a homage to our coastal home in the Scottish Highlands, Old Pulteney Distillery Exclusive beautifully intertwines notes of citrus and toffee with the classic briny undertone that Old Pulteney is renowned for. An ABV of 53%, slightly higher than that of our core collection, allows the delicious flavours of caramelised fruit, nutmeg and honey to come to the fore.

Matured by the Sea

To create this limited-edition single malt Scotch whisky, Distillery Manager Malcolm Waring carefully hand-selected his favourite casks to create a delicious flavour profile before keeping a watchful and expert eye over the whisky as it matured at Pulteney distillery in Wick. The whisky was first filled in American oak casks before further maturation in French oak, pulling through deep, sweet notes with a subtle spice.

With traditional warehouses exposed to the invigorating sea air blowing in off the North Sea, Old Pulteney captures the taste of the sea in every drop of its liquid gold. From subtle coastal chords to more defined salty notes, the flavour of our whisky says much about the role and influence of our home.

A product of its inspiringly distinctive and lively coastal location, Distillery Exclusive reaffirms that Old Pulteney truly is The Maritime Malt.

Appearance

Amber with lighter copper hues

Aroma

Rich with deep sweetness. Notes of caramelised apple, warm custard and cinnamon spiced pastries. Towards the end, we see fresh rye bread with bright orange citrus, stone fruits and delicate oak dryness.

Taste

Deep sweetness and spice. Toffee, nutmeg and caramelised popcorn envelop the palate and continue to develop into rich blossom honey, roasted almonds and creamy vanilla. Spices and honey linger on with a welcome tannic dryness in the form of dried fruits

Limited Edition Old Pulteney Port Scotch Whisky Sept 2023

Introducing the second expression in The Coastal Series, Old Pulteney Port.

Old Pulteney Port has matured in both Ruby Port Pipes and Ruby Port Barriques, which once held an iconic sweet, red, fortified wine native to the Douro Valley of northern Portugal. The sweet flavours of the wine pair perfectly with the briny notes The Maritime Malt is renowned for.

Available to purchase exclusively on our website

Limited Edition Old Pulteney Port Scotch Whisky

Whisky lovers all want to receive a good Scotch whisky this Christmas but rather than their go-to, why not treat the special someone in your life (or yourself) with a limited-edition bottle of Old Pulteney Port?

A Wonderful Marriage of Flavours

Old Pulteney Port is matured in American Oak Casks, Ruby Port Pipes and Ruby Port Barriques which once held the iconic sweet, red fortified wine native to the Douro Valley of Northern Portugal.

Offering deliciously rich flavours of baked apples, cinnamon swirl and candied orange that perfectly complement the briny notes that our whisky is renowned for, this special single malt is sure to be a staple for whisky drinkers this Christmas.

Old Pulteney Port Maturation

Old Pulteney Port emerges rose gold in colour, enticing the senses with a combination of fragrant and rich aromas. On the nose, the dried fruits are unmissable, with notes of sultanas and buttery vanilla.

The rich fruity flavours of the further maturation in Red Port Pipes and Barriques are beautifully intertwined with the sea-salted notes that come from the influence of the Caithness Coast, where we call home.

Drinking whisky is great, but gifting a bottle to someone special for Christmas is, arguably, even better. What’s more, there’s a good chance the person who finds a bottle of liquid gold in their stocking on Christmas Day is going to feel like sharing. After all, isn’t that what the festive season is about?

Knowing what whisky to buy your friends and family, however, can be a little trickier. Fortunately, our Whisky Gift Guide has got you covered. Find out which Old Pulteney is the perfect gift for your loved ones this festive period…

Old Pulteney 12 Years Old

The perfect gift for whisky lovers and newbies alike, this sparkling golden whisky is best enjoyed by the fire with friends this Christmas.

Our house-style single malt, Old Pulteney 12 Years Old, showcases sweet notes of vanilla, honey, dark caramel and cream, with a distinctive salty note that our whisky is renowned for.

Old Pulteney Huddart

The ideal malt to enjoy on a cold winters evening or at a festive get-together, Old Pulteney Huddart offers a distinctively smoky take on Old Pulteney.

Old Pulteney Huddart is a beautifully complex and richly warming malt which offers notes of mellow wood, a briny saltiness and crisp green apple, before mellowing into creamy vanilla and burnt toffee.

Old Pulteney 15 Years Old

Old Pulteney 15 Years Old single malt is perfect for fans of our 12 Years Old who are keen to enjoy Old Pulteney in a new way.

Sweet notes of honey and creamy vanilla come together beautifully with fragrant spices and the familiar taste of Christmas cake, making for the perfect dram to enjoy after a festive feast.

Old Pulteney 18 Years Old

If you’re looking to treat someone special over the festive season (it is Christmas after all), there’s no better gift than Old Pulteney 18 Years Old.

Indulgent and spicy, this whisky has been nurtured under the watchful eye of our Distillery Manager, Malcolm Waring. Notes of rich chocolate and spices beautifully combine in this single malt.

HARBOUR

The new single malt from

Taking its name from the point which joins our hometown of Wick to the North Sea, Old Pulteney Harbour celebrates our connection to the sea.

To create this vibrant single malt, we matured our whisky in a quartet of hand-selected American oak casks, cocooned by the sea air of our remote coastal distillery. Second fill barrels, re-charred barrels, first fill ex-bourbon barrels and refill barrels are married together to give this whisky its unique flavour.

With an ABV of 40%, sweet notes of raisins and tropical fruit are perfectly balanced with darker tones of hot toffee. The finish grows into rich fruit and spice, with undertones of our signature coastal character.

Available to buy from Tesco, Pulteney Distillery and our online shop, this unique take on The Maritime Malt is the perfect addition to your whisky collection.