From Scotland’s far northern shores, Old Pulteney brings the sea to your glass – proof that a whisky needn’t cost the earth to taste of it…
What makes a whisky stand out? Some distilleries rely on peat, others on pedigree, and a few on marketing budgets that could bankroll a Bond film. But Old Pulteney, from Wick on Scotland’s most northerly shores, prefers to let the sea do the talking. Known as The Maritime Malt, it’s less a nickname than a statement of provenance — a whisky shaped, quite literally, by salt-laden winds, sea spray and the stoic cliffs of Caithness. You could say its defining characteristic is a touch of salinity, though that might undersell what’s effectively an entire microclimate in a bottle.
Old Pulteney has been quietly doing this since 1826, when the town of Wick was better known for herring than for highballs. Its distillery remains a fixture on the coast — one of those improbably romantic places where you can see the sea from the stillhouse, and where casks age to the rhythm of the tides. The connection isn’t just poetic, though; it’s practical. The maritime air, heavy with salt, subtly influences maturation, lending that distinctive coastal tang you’ll struggle to find in a Speyside malt.
Of course, history is only half the story. The other half sits in your glass, and Old Pulteney’s current line-up offers plenty to explore. The Harbour expression is a relatively recent addition — a sort of friendly first mate to the range. It opens with creamy vanilla and coconut on the nose, then drifts towards citrus and soft oak spice. On the palate, there’s a balance of sweet raisins, tropical fruit, and the faintest echo of tobacco leaf before the familiar sea-brine finale makes its entrance. It’s approachable without being dull; a whisky that would rather start a conversation than end an argument.
The 12 Years Old, meanwhile, remains the yardstick — a classic Highland malt that’s as much a part of the Old Pulteney identity as its seaside setting. Matured entirely in ex-bourbon casks, it’s a model of quiet confidence: honey, vanilla and dark caramel up front, a touch of fruit and spice thereafter, and then that unmistakable maritime kiss. It’s the kind of dram that doesn’t need to prove itself; it’s been doing the job for nearly two centuries.
And while it may not come nestled in mahogany presentation boxes or demand the kind of investment portfolio usually reserved for Islay rarities, that’s precisely the point. At £35–£40, Old Pulteney’s Harbour and 12 Year Old aren’t meant to be reverently decanted into cut crystal — they’re solid Saturday evening fare. Honest, well-made whiskies that taste of where they come from, and all the better for it.
There’s something fitting about a whisky so rooted in place — a reminder that, even in an age of experimental finishes and global branding, a sense of origin still matters. Old Pulteney’s isn’t a contrived story of barrels and branding; it’s simply Wick in a glass. Pour yourself one and you can almost hear the gulls. Or perhaps that’s just the central heating.
Either way, it’s a fine companion for autumn evenings, a quiet nod to the sea’s enduring influence, and proof that a little salt can bring out the best in everything — even whisky.
Old Pulteney Harbour and 12-year-old are available at Masters of Malt, the Whisky Exchange and in all good stockists. For more information, please visit www.oldpulteney.com.
