🥃 Old Pulteney
A single malt Scotch whisky brand from the Pulteney distillery in the town of Wick, Caithness; founded in 1826; a flat-topped wash still; owned by Inver House Distillers.
Old Pulteney is a single malt Scotch whisky brand from the Pulteney distillery in the port town of Wick, Caithness, in the north-east of Scotland. The distillery was founded in 1826, and the brand belongs to Inver House Distillers, which describes it as The Genuine Maritime Malt.
History. James Henderson founded the Pulteney distillery in 1826 in the newly built Pulteneytown district, after he had previously made whisky at nearby Stemster. In 1920 it was bought by the Dundee firm James Watson & Co, and in 1925 it joined the Distillers Company. Production stopped in 1930, when Wick introduced a local ban on alcohol, and the town stayed 'dry' until 1947. Berti Cumming, a lawyer and owner of Balblair, restarted the distillery in 1951. Later owners included Canada's Hiram Walker, Allied Breweries (1961) and, from 1995, Inver House Distillers.
How it is made. The distillery has one pair of stills, but they are very distinctive: the wash still has a large ball section and a flattened top, and the vapour condenses in steel worm tubs. Under the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009, Scotch must mature for at least three years in oak casks of up to 700 litres and have an ABV of at least 40%. Old Pulteney is most often matured in former bourbon casks.
Style and range. Whiskypedia describes Old Pulteney as sweet, fruity and malty, with a faint salty note. For a long time it was known mainly from bottles bottled by independent bottlers such as Gordon & MacPhail. Today the core range consists of 12-, 17-, 21- and 35-year-old versions and Voyager, which has no age statement. The 12-year-old sells the most.
Why this matters to you. The age on the label refers to the youngest whisky in the blend, and the versions differ in strength, so check the figures on the bottle. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | 1826, James Henderson (Pulteneytown, Wick, Caithness); 1825 in some sources |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890) (Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Highland) |
| EU category | 2 — whisky/whiskey |
| Raw material | barley malt; water |
| Distillation method | twice, one pair of stills; flat-topped wash still, condensing in steel worm tubs |
| Minimum maturation | at least 3 years in oak under the law; Old Pulteney 12 — 12 years |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | at least 40% ABV under the law |
What it includes
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Old Pulteney → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it contains
- 🧪 Water, 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 British
- Part of
- 🥃 Whisky, 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Scotch Whisky
- Related to
- 🥃 Highland whisky, 🌍 Western Europe
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Peated whisky, 🥃 Glen Garioch, 🥃 Glen Garioch, 🥃 The Glenrothes, 🥃 The Glenrothes, 🥃 Haig, 🥃 Haig, 🥃 Speyburn, 🥃 Balblair, 🥃 Knockdhu
Frequently asked questions
When was the Pulteney distillery founded?
In 1826, in Pulteneytown, Wick. Some reference works give 1825, so the exact date depends on the source.
Why did the distillery close in 1930?
Wick introduced a local ban on alcohol. The town stayed 'dry' until 1947, and the distillery restarted in 1951.
Is it true that Old Pulteney tastes salty because of the sea?
Publications describe a salty note, but this describes the style, not a proven effect of the sea. The legal requirements for whisky say nothing about it.
What makes the Pulteney stills unusual?
The wash still has a large ball section and a flat top, and the condensers are steel worm tubs.
Who owns Old Pulteney?
According to available information, the brand and the distillery have belonged to Inver House Distillers since 1995.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🧪 Water — ~87% of milk.
- 🌍 Western Europe — France, the Netherlands, Britain, Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg: a mild, moist climate, pastures and hundreds of cheeses such as Roquefort, Camembert, Gouda and Cheddar.
Similar
🥃 Abhainn Dearg · 🥃 Teaninich · 🥃 Glen Garioch · 🥃 Loch Lomond Distillery · 🥃 The Glenturret · 🥃 Glen Ord
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), reg. 3: definition and categories of Scotch Whisky (Scotland, oak up to 700 l, min. 3 years, min. 40 % ABV)
- Scotchwhisky.com (Whiskypedia): Old Pulteney (Inver House, 'Genuine Maritime Malt', styles, core range, worm tubs, flat-topped wash still)
- Scotchwhisky.com (Whiskypedia): Pulteney distillery (1826, James Henderson, Wick, owners and timeline)
- Old Pulteney: офіційний сайт марки
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)