| Location : | Highland - Elgin. - Sited on the southern side of Wick, close to the North Sea coast. |
| Region : | Highland |
| Country : | Scotland |
| Type : | Rare Single Highland Malt. |
| Distillery : | Pulteny Distillery Co. Ltd., Wick, Caithness. Huddart Street , Wick Caithness KW1 5BA (KW1 5BD) Phone +44 01955-602371 Fax +44 01955-602279 |
| Founded : | Established in 1826 |
| Owner : | Sold by Allied Distillers in 1995 to InverHouse Distillers. |
| Producer : | Inverhouse |
| Water : | Loch of Hempriggs |
| Remark : | The most northern distillery in the Highlands. From the book 'Collins Pocket Reference' Whisky by Carol P. Shaw : Pulteney Distillery was established in 1826 in a new district of Wick which had been built to herring industry, and is such a situation it had a ready market. It was closed during the slump of the 1920's and was not reopned until 1951, being sold to James & George Stodan Ltd of Dumbarton, a Hiram Walker subsidiary, four years later. In jue 1995 the distillery was sold by Allied Distillers to Inver House Distillers, giving them a complement of four malt distilleries, the others being Knockdhu, Speyburn-Glenlivet and, most recently, Balblair. The most northerly distillery on the Scottish mainland, Pultney is situated near the ruins of the fourteenth-century Castle Oliphant, known as the Auld Man o'Wick. Comments : Reputedly one of the fastest maturing whiskies, Pulteney is a distinctive malt with a pungent aroma and salty tang underlain by peaty notes. perhaps due to the exposed coastal position of the distillery. Available from independent bottlers. The distillery is not open to visitors. :: \L\1br> Taste rating = 3-4 From the book 'Malt Whisky' Companion by Michael Jackson : \L\1995 Ed) : Known as 'The Manzanilla of the North' for its salty tang. The producers of Manzanilla do supply casks to the Scotch whisky industry, and it is certanly possible that the odd butt has accommodated a charge of Pulteney whisky, but in general the owners are more inclined towards Bourbon wood. The saltiness probably owes more to the seaair. Not only is the Pulteney distillery on the coast, its site is so exposed as to be falling off the furthest end of Scotland. Pulteney was founded in 1826 and rebuilt by the Hiram Walker company in 1959 as a constributor of malt whisky to the Ballantine blends. House style : Fresh, slaty, appetising. Pre-dinner. From the book 'The Malt Whisky File' by Robin Tucek and John Lamond : Established by James Henderson, Became part of DCL in 1925, having been purchased by John Dewar & Sons a couple of years earlier. Closed between 1930 and 1951, then revived. In 1955 it was bought by Hiram Walker, now a part of Allied Domecq, who rebuilt the distillery in 1959. Pulteney distillery was sold to Inver House Distillers in June 1955. It has two stills. Location : The most northerly distillery on the UK Mainland, it is sited on the southern side of Wick, close to the North Sea coast. Notes : Available only from the independent bottlers. One of the malts associated with Ballantine's blended Scotch whisky. Water : The Loch of Hempriggs. From the book 'The Complete Guide to Whiskey' by Jim Murray : Pulteny ( Pult-nay ) : While Highland Park revels in its fame as Scotland's most norherly distillery, Pulteney goes about its business as the mainland's with quiet dignity. Like Scapa, it has never gained much notoriety as a single malt beyond its own community but has produced, year after year, a vary decent dram for blending and one not short on character. It is a major trek to visit Pulteney: there is no strong reason to go there other than as a holiday or in order to visit the distillery. Perhaps you are nearing completion of a walk, jog or cycle from Land's End to John o' Groats and passing Wick on the very last leg of your journey up to the A9. At one time you would have found any number of distilleries operating north of Wick in the bleak opennes of Caithness. There were stills at Brabster, Murkle, Greenland and Gerston ner Thuso, the last on dying out as the twentieth century dawned. But these were just shooting start compared with the perpetual northern light of Pulteney. You have to lurk around the back streets of Wick for a while before finally location Pulteney. No pagodas or any of the frilly stuff here. Despite being the home of only two stills, it is a substantial old distillery, complete with a courtyard, but has been subjected to the same pragmatic approach as Scapa. Indeed, it was owned by the same company. Today, though, it is under the control of Inver House Distillers, who are making a habit of acquiring fine, undervalued distilleries. They will eventually be bottling it as a single malt, but in their own good time. When they do, its slightly briny, coy but quite delicious malt will at last become more widely available. It may also be one to keep in the medicine cabinet. The barmaid of the hotel at which I staid some years back told me that her mother applied a mixture of tepid water and straight Pulteney to her ailing daughter, who pulled through agains all the odds: 'My gran always said it was down to the Pulteney.' Ah, uisge-beatha, water of life, indeed. From the Whisky pilot by Uniqum Systems : Established by James Henderson. Became part of DCL in 1925, having been purchased by John Dewar 8s Sons a couple of years earlier. Closed between 1930 and 1951, then revived. In 1955 it was bought by Hiram Walker, now part of Allied Domecq, who rebuilt the distillery in 1959. Pulteney distillery was sold to Inver House Distillers in June, 1995. It has two stills. Only available from the independent bottlers. One of the malts associated with Ballantine's blended Scotch Whisky. The most northerly distillery on the UK mainland, it is situated on the southern side of Wick, close to the North Sea coast. The Loch of Hempriggs provides the water. |
| Old Pulteney 8 Years old. | |
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| Age : | 8 years old. |
| Vol : | 40% |
| Type : | Rare Highland Single Malt. | Price : | ? |
| Remark : | Bottled by Gordon and Macphail. Michael Jackson's notes : Colour : Amber Nose : Fresh, dry, with a hint of sea air. Body : Light, firm. Palate : Faintly salty, earthy-spicy, appetising, smooth, becoming gently malty. Finish : Salty, tangy, warming, soothing, long. Score : 77 |
| Old Pulteney 12 years old | |
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| Age : | 12 years old. |
| Vol : | ?% |
| Type : | ? | Price : | ? |
| Remark : | - |
| Pulteney William Cadenhead | |
| Sorry no picture | |
| Age : | ? years old. |
| Vol : | 46% |
| Type : | Pure Malt | Price : | ? |
| Remark : | Bottled by Wm. Cadenhead. |
| URL / LINKS.......... | to official Old Pulteney or related web pages. |
| www.inverhouse.com |  Inver House Distillers. |
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Here's a note from one of our readers : Allan McBain An old hotel near me in South Wales has recently closed and, in emptying their cellars, have found numerous old whiskys. Malts were included, but were all sold by the time I reached the Wine Merchants. I did, however, get a bottle of Long John De Luxe : \L\1hich may date to the 1930s or maybe as late as the 1960s) and a boxed bottle of Haig's Dimple which has similar provenance, indeed I am more convinced of it's age as the box shows golfers in Plus Fours! Anyway, searching for information on the above brought me to your site, and an interest took me to Old Pultney - the 12 year old is my current favourite malt. Seeing your lack of detail and request for information...(Not any more / Red.) I have no benchmark so wouldn't like to score the malt : \L\1specially as I have only seen the 12YO here and not the 8YO which you feature). I will say, however that the whisky is distilled in Wick on the northern tip of Scotland which makes it the most northerly mainland malt, only exceed overall by Scapa and Highland Park, both from Orkney. The owners and bottlers : \L\1rant & McPhail) are from Elgin, much further south. Pultney is the old name for the oldest part of Wick, hence the name. I think that it is an extremely smooth, dark malt with no alcoholic harshness and a wonderfully deep, round nose. In character it is similar to its Orcadian cousins and, possibly due to its peatiness and the salt tang, the Islay malt Bunnahabhain. Thoroughly recommended! Allan McBain |
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