Two centuries of Old Pulteney
This month’s issue of Whisky Business, City AM’s monthly look at the world of whisky, examines the history of Old Pulteney
If there’s one Whisky that encapsulates the rugged beauty of Scotland’s Highlands and its coastal areas more than anything else, it’s Old Pulteney.
Founded by James Henderson, a serial whisky entrepreneur, in 1826 to supply fishermen in the port of Caithness, in the town of Wick, Old Pulteney was, for a time, one of Scotland’s most northerly distilleries (John o’Groats is 17 miles up the road).
Wick was a fishing town, but the distillery soon overtook fish as the town’s main exporter. Its success became somewhat of a problem in the mid-1800s and early 1900s, when it was estimated that workers in Wick and nearby Pulteneytown consumed 800 gallons or 5,000 bottles of whisky a week, roughly 260 bottles per year for every fishing boat registered in the town.
As a result, local politicians turned to a solution being trialled in the US – prohibition. Between 28 May 1922 and 28 May 1947, there were no public houses or licensed grocers in Wick open to the public for the sale of alcohol, a restriction that lasted 12 years longer than the US phenomenon.
Old Pulteney managed to survive this difficult period and is still thriving two centuries later.
Old Pulteney’s identity
Old Pulteney’s brand identity is still deeply rooted in its location. The whisky is known for a distinct coastal character that’s embedded in its location. Warehouses are exposed to Wick’s salty sea air, contributing to the whisky’s distinctive character. “It’s Wick and the town first, and the whisky second. Without the place, we are nothing,” notes Old Pulteney’s master of whisky Creation, Sarah Burgess.
In the formative years of Scotland’s whisky industry, consumers were happy drinking clear, new-make spirit. Maturation only began when distillers pragmatically began reusing empty sherry casks that had arrived via the Port of Leith.
“Being Scottish, we thought, we’ll use these casks to move our new-make spirit around!” notes Sarah. Old Pulteney ended up with a reputation for using ex-Manzanilla sherry casks and that’s how it came to be known as the “The Manzanilla of the North.”
To celebrate its 200th anniversary, the distillery has returned to its roots with the 200th anniversary distillery exclusive, a rare dual maturation in Manzanilla and Oloroso casks. “I saw Old Pulteney maturing in maritime ex-Manzanilla sherry casks, and it felt like a gift,” says Sarah. “Finding this treasure in the warehouse was beautiful,” she adds.
However, 100 per cent Manzanilla didn’t work on the first attempt. “It was overly sweet and didn’t reflect the true character of Pulteney at all,” so the team went back to the drawing board. They ended up combining the Oloroso sherry-matured stock with the Manzanilla to give the classic maritime edge, introducing notes of citrus, vanilla, and deep fruit.
The distillery has also launched the Old Pulteney 50 Years Old and Old Pulteney 30 Years Old; the former is the oldest-ever release by the distillery and is limited to just 200 bottles.
Next chapter
A lot has changed for Old Pulteney over the past 200 years and the brand’s ability to continue for the next 200 years will depend on its ability to change with the times. “The most important part is doing good things today that don’t damage tomorrow,” says Sarah.
That means creating amazing whisky for today’s consumers, but not taking all the “treasure.”
“It is vital to leave something fantastic for the next person so they can respect what happened in the past, allowing them to do what they need to do in their present,” she adds.
Today it’s also more important than ever for the brand and wider industry to adapt to changing tastes. But Sarah believes Old Pulteney can rise to the occasion thanks to its versatility. “A whisky like Old Pulteney works beautifully in a cocktail, and it is stunning in a highball,” she notes. And the best way for the industry to adapt is to remove some of the self-imposed rules that Sarah believes have “damaged whisky.”
No other spirits have “this many hoops to jump through” with rules such as “you must drink it at room temperature,” or “you must never add water.” If those rules were strictly enforced on brandy, vodka, or gin drinkers, “they might stop enjoying their favourite drinks, too,” she concludes.