Pulteney

Pulteney-Distillery

History The Old Pulteney Distillery is a malt whisky production and aging facility in the Pulteneytown area of Wick, Caithness, in the Highland area of Scotland. The distillery produces the Old Pulteney single-malt whisky at a number of ages and has a visitor centre in Huddart Street. The distillery was established in 1826 in the name of Sir William Pulteney (who died in 1805), and for whom Pulteneytown is named. The distillery is the most northerly on the Scottish mainland and was quite inaccessible, except by sea, when established. Barley was brought in by sea, and the whisky was shipped out the same way. Many of the distillery workers were also employed as fishermen. The herring fishing industry is no longer part of daily life in Wick but the distillery continues to operate, producing a Highland single-malt with a reputation as one of the finest available. Characteristics of the whisky are attributed to exposure to sea air during maturation. The distillery closed in 1930 due to declining trade after the local parish enforced prohibition laws but re-opened in 1951 when the vote was rescinded after the law was abolished. It is now owned by Inver House Distillers. The Old Pulteney site uses water from an old mill lade, constructed by Thomas Telford. This stream flows out of Loch Hempriggs, 3 or 4 kilometres (2 miles) to the south/southwest, and is reputed to have powered a barley mill at or near the site of the distillery.

The Whiskyphiles tasting notes

Official Bottling
  • old-pulteney-12-year-old-whisky Old Pulteney 12 Years Old (2013) - Old Pulteney 12 Years Old (40%, OB, 2010) Category: Highland single malt scotch whisky Origin: Pulteney Distillery Bottling: Inver House ABV: 40% Cost: £31.84 What they say: Matured wholly in air-dried, hand-selected […]
  • Old_Pulteney_15_Years_Old_-_The_Maritime_Malt_detail Old Pulteney 15 Years Old (2018) - Old Pulteney 15 Years Old whisky review: Very smooth but in a good way - palate-coating with great texture, rather than flavour-less, there is caramel, toffee and malt aplenty throughout. I had hoped for more of a sherry influence here, darker fruits, nut or chocolate - all of which I love. Rather this is more of a deep fruit and spice type dram but with a sweetness that suggests all sorts of different desserts. One for the sweet-toothed perhaps? 84/100
  • old-pulteney-17-year-old-whisky Old Pulteney 17 Years Old (2015) - Old Pulteney 17 Years Old (46%, OB, 2015) Category: Highland single malt scotch whisky Origin: Pulteney Distillery Bottling: Official – Inver House Distillers Ltd. ABV: 46% Cost: £59.99 What they say: Our 17-year-old […]
  • old-pulteney-18-year-old-whisky Old Pulteney 18 Years Old (2018) - Old Pulteney 18 Years Old whisky review: Reminiscent of the recently discontinued Old Pulteney 17 Year Old, this 18 year old expression from Pulteney distillery has a healthy sherry influence and plenty of wonderful chocolate notes. My overall impression is this lacks a little complexity or is a bit more polished than the 17 perhaps. 87/100
  • Old-Pulteney-1990-Vintage Old Pulteney 1990 Vintage (2013) - Old Pulteney 1990 Vintage (46%, OB, 5400 bottles, 2013) 46% ABV, £120 from specialist whisky shops Score: 91/100 What they say: We are delighted to today [15th November 2013] announce the latest […]
  • Old-Pulteney-1991-SC-0030 Old Pulteney 1991 Single Cask 0030 (2017) - Old Pulteney 1991 Single Cask #0030 (57.6%, OB, 2007) Whisky Review Category: Highland single malt scotch whisky Origin: Pulteney Distillery Bottling: Inver House Distillers Ltd. ABV: 57.6% Cost: £69.95 What they say: This […]
  • Old Pulteney 21 Years Old (2013) - Old Pulteney 21 Years Old (46%, OB, 2012) Category: Highland single malt scotch whisky Bottle: Official ABV: 46% Cost: £92.99 Score: 90/100 What they say: Old Pulteney 21 Year Old has been […]
  • old-pulteney-clipper-commemorative-bottle-whisky Old Pulteney Clipper (2017) - Old Pulteney Clipper Commemorative (46%, OB, 2014) Whisky Review Category: Highland single malt scotch whisky Origin: Pulteney Distillery Bottling: Inver House Distillers Ltd. ABV: 46% Cost: £50.44 What they say: Old Pulteney Clipper Commemorative  […]
  • old-pulteney-duncansby-head-1l-whisky Old Pulteney Duncansby Head (2017) - Old Pulteney Duncansby Head (46%, OB, 2013) Whisky Review Category: Highland single malt scotch whisky Origin: Pulteney Distillery Bottling: Inver House Distillers Ltd. ABV: 46% Cost: £57.83 What they say: Old Pulteney Duncansby Head […]
  • old-pulteney-dunnet-head-whisky Old Pulteney Dunnet Head (2017) - Old Pulteney Dunnet Head (46%, OB, 2013) Whisky Review Category: Highland single malt scotch whisky Origin: Pulteney Distillery Bottling: Inver House Distillers Ltd. ABV: 46% Cost: £69.74 What they say: Old Pulteney Dunnet Head […]
  • old-pulteney-huddart-whisky Old Pulteney Huddart (2018) - Old Pulteney Huddart whisky review: A lot less smoky than I was hoping for, pretty neutral but well constructed. 76/100
  • old-pulteney-navigator Old Pulteney Navigator (2013) - Old Pulteney Navigator (46%, OB, 2013) 46% ABV, NAS, around £40 from specialist whisky shops Score: 69/100 What they say: The ‘Old Pulteney’ Clipper Round the World Race yacht departed from London’s […]
  • old-pulteney-noss-head-1l-whisky Old Pulteney Noss Head (2017) - Old Pulteney Noss Head (46%, OB, 2013) Category: Highland single malt scotch whisky Origin: Pulteney Distillery Bottling: Inver House Distillers Ltd. ABV: 46% Cost: £51.95 What they say: Old Pulteney Noss Head Packaged […]
  • old-pulteney-pentland-skerries-1l-whisky Old Pulteney Pentland Skerries (2017) - Old Pulteney Pentland Skerries (46%, OB, 2013) Whisky Review Category: Highland single malt scotch whisky Origin: Pulteney Distillery Bottling: Inver House Distillers Ltd. ABV: 46% Cost: £67.62 What they say: Old Pulteney Pentland Skerries […]
  • Old Pulteney WK209 Good Hope (2013) - Old Pulteney WK209 Good Hope Limited Edition (46%, OB, 2011) Category: Highland single malt scotch whisky Origin: Pulteney Distillery Bottling: Inver House Distillers Ltd. ABV: 46% Cost: £36.99 What they say Established […]
  • Old-Pulteney-WK217 Old Pulteney WK217 Spectrum (2013) - Old Pulteney WK217 Spectrum (46%, OB, 2012) Category: Highland single malt scotch whisky Origin: Pulteney Distillery Bottling: Inver House Distillers Ltd. ABV: 46% Cost: £42.99 What they say: This is the third […]
  • Old_Pulteney_2004_TWE Old Pulteney 2004 Single Cask 128 (2018) - Old Pulteney 2004 Single Cask #128 TWE Exclusive whisky review: An intense and heavily sherried Pulteney cask reminds me why I love this combination so much. Deep dark fruit coupled with chocolate from the cask mixes with rich malt, coastal salt and sweet fruitiness of Pulteney's spirit. A brief rubbery whiff on the nose was a false alarm and this dilutes wonderfully revealing ever more facets and flavours. 91/100
  • Old_Pulteney_Vintage_2006_600x800_detail Old Pulteney 2006 Vintage (2018) - Old Pulteney 2006 Vintage whisky review: Pleasant enough, this has some nice flavours and textures about it but a little too sharp citrus and 'green' wood for my liking. 79/100
Independent Bottling
A.D. Rattray
  • OctaveSet-Pulteney-2_2000x (2) Pulteney 9 Years Old Original Bourbon Barrel (2018) - Pulteney 9 Years Old Original Bourbon Barrel - The Octave Project whisky review: A great and classic Pulteney expression, malty, fruity, coastal and vanilla from the bourbon barrel - I kept picking up a hint of wood smoke or toasted oak in here too. 84/100
  • OctaveSet-Pulteney-2_2000x (2) Pulteney 10 Years Old Oloroso Sherry octave finish (2018) - Pulteney 10 Years Old Oloroso Sherry octave finish - The Octave Project whisky review: Spiced and redolent of fruity berries and cream, I'm not sure this is an improvement over the original cask - in fact most of the things I liked from the original bourbon barrel are absent here. Still a very drinkable dram and pleasant rather than spectacular. 83/100
  • OctaveSet-Pulteney-2_2000x (2) Pulteney 10 Years Old PX Sherry octave finish (2018) - Pulteney 10 Years Old PX Sherry octave finish - The Octave Project whisky review: Easily as good as the original Bourbon barrel expression but quite different. This time their is some dark fruits from the sherry cask but also plenty of chocolate and nutty elements too. The spice in this one is much more reserved. 85/100
  • OctaveSet-Pulteney-2_2000x (2) Pulteney 10 Years Old Rioja octave finish (2018) - Pulteney 10 Years Old Rioja octave finish - The Octave Project whisky review: Similar to the Arran finished in the Rioja octave, this Pulteney expression is bursting with fruits and cream and is just delicious! 85/100
  • OctaveSet-Pulteney-2_2000x (2) Pulteney 10 Years Old Rum octave finish (2018) - Pulteney 10 Years Old Rum octave finish - The Octave Project whisky review: Sweet but also a little savoury this one, it grew on me but not as instantly likeable as some of the others in this set. It is actually quite hard to fault the Original Bourbon Barrel expression which shone the most in intensity of flavour, the others at time seem a little muddled by the finishing but still of great quality. 83/100
Cadenhead
  • Pulteney-11-year-old-2006-AC-Cadenheads Pulteney 11 Year Old 2006 Authentic Collection (2017) - Pulteney 11 Year Old 2006 Authentic Collection (56.1%, WM Cadenhead, Bourbon HH, 294 Bottles, 2017) Whisky Review Category: Highland single malt scotch whisky Origin: Pulteney Distillery Bottling: Cadenhead’s ABV: 56.1% Cost: £61.60 from […]
Gordon & MacPhail
  • pulteney-19-year-old-1998-cask-18-049-connoisseurs-choice-gordon-and-macphail-whisky Pulteney 1998 Connoisseurs Choice (2018) - Pulteney 1998 Connoisseurs Choice Cask Strength whisky review: This single ex-bourbon barrel matured Pulteney expression reveals some interesting facets including Pulteney's delicious coastal salt influence and in this example quite a savoury lemon & thyme mixture. 87/100
Scotch Malt Whisky Society
  • SMWS 52.20 All day American breakfast in the garden (2015) - Pulteney 13 Years Old 2001 52.20 All day American breakfast in the garden (64.7%, SMWS, Refill Bourbon Barrel, 207 Bottles, 2014) Highland single malt scotch whisky 64.7% ABV, £47.10 Score: 83/100 What […]
The Whisky Exchange