Old Pulteney

The Maritime Malt

Defined and shaped by its location, Old Pulteney is distilled at Pulteney Distillery in Wick on the shores of north-eastern Scotland. Matured by the sea, Old Pulteney casks breathe the invigorating sea air year after year, giving the whisky an unmistakable coastal character. With every dram, you’ll get a true taste of the Caithness coast.

Old Pulteney is inseparable from the spirit of the harbour town it calls home which is why it will always be the Maritime Malt.

Old Pulteney’s award winning, definitive single malts to critically acclaimed limited-edition releases, each defined and shaped by the inspiringly distinctive and lively coastal location.

Heritage & History

Founded in 1826 by James Henderson, a man whose distilling skills were put to use ahead of the Excise Act of 1823, the Old Pulteney distillery remained in the hands of the Henderson family for over 100 years. During this time another man, William Johnstone, himself a man of influence and standing, drove the creation of Pulteney town; a community centered around a world leading fishing port – and ultimately giving Old Pulteney a defined and distinctive place in local history. When Pulteney Distillery first started operating the port of Wick was only accessible by sea – a reliable road connection was not established until much later.

Production & Flavour

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.

Old Pulteney is matured in both American oak, ex-bourbon casks and Spanish oak, ex-sherry casks. These are stored onsite in both traditional dunnage and racked warehouses where low temperatures, high humidity and the surrounding sea air shape the maturation, helping to give the whisky its unmistakable coastal character.

Smuggler's Kettle

In Scotland single malt whisky must be distilled in copper pot stills. Pulteney Distillery uses two copper pot stills, and like most traditional Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Old Pulteney is distilled twice. The wash still at Pulteney is unusual in more than one way. The story has it that when the distillery was being established, due to a measurement error the wash still had to be shortened to fit into the still room, resulting in its unusual shape today. Due to its unusual shape the first still is sometimes called the Smuggler’s Kettle.

After nearly three decades, our distillery manager at Old Pulteney, Malcolm Warring, is still driven by a passion for making the finest quality single malt whisky and represents the rich maritime heritage and wild coastal location of Old Pulteney’s Caithness home.

Coastal Series

The Coastal Series is a collection of four limited-edition whiskies that have been matured in casks found close to the sea. Old Pulteney has partnered with spirit makers from coastal locations around the world – each with their own distinctive maritime flavour – to further mature its much-loved whisky in a specialist selection of casks, creating beautifully unique whiskies to be released annually.

Old Pulteney Port

The second release, Old Pulteney Port is a wonderful marriage of flavours from two iconic spirits, both found close to sea, carefully matured in second fill ex-bourbon casks found in Douro Valley of Northern Portugal. Like Old Pulteney, the creation of Port goes back centuries and plays a huge part in the history of its region.

Seafood Pairings

Finding the perfect food to match your dram is often a matter of personal taste, however there are foods that match better with certain styles of whisky.

The sweetness of Old Pulteney single malt whisky contrasts with the drizzle of lemon juice on the shellfish. The rich texture and complexity of the dram perfectly complements the tender and flavoursome nature of the coveted oyster meat.