Old Pulteney 17 Year Old Discontinued
The Maritime Heritage of Wick
Founded in 1826 by James Henderson, Pulteney Distillery crafts Old Pulteney in Wick, right on the rugged north-eastern coast of the Scottish Highlands. During the 19th-century herring boom, the isolated terrain forced the distillery to import barley and export whisky exclusively by ship, forging a deep historical bond with the sea.
Shaped by the North Sea Air
Today, traditional dunnage warehouses continue to face the North Sea directly. As a result, the barrels breathe salt-laden coastal air for over a decade, which ultimately imparts an unmistakable maritime tang and signature brine into the maturing spirit. Furthermore, the bottle’s bulbous neck and heavy base carefully mimic the distillery’s unique copper pot stills. This distinctive look exists because the original wash still features a completely flat, truncated top, which was created when engineers built it too tall to fit inside the building. Currently, the distillery matures its classic 12-year expression entirely in air-dried, hand-selected ex-bourbon American oak casks.
Cask Maturation of the 17-Year-Old
Meanwhile, a different approach was taken for the older expression. Both ex-bourbon and rich Spanish sherry casks mature this legendary whisky. This precise combination gives Old Pulteney 17 Year Old a softer, sweeter, and more fruit-forward flavour. Ultimately, it completely bypasses the standard reliance on deep, heavy oak aging alone.
| Old Pulteney 17 Year Old (Discontinued 2017) | Old Pulteney 18 Year Old (Current Range) | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Flavour Profile | Crisp orchard apples, tart citrus, coastal sea salt, and sharp baking spices. | Deep dark chocolate, velvety toffee, sweet cinnamon, and rich fruit cocktail. |
| Cask Composition | Ex-Bourbon forward with a subtle finish in Spanish Sherry Oak (Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez). | Heavier wood influence from second-fill Ex-Bourbon followed by first-fill Oloroso Sherry casks. |
| Sweetness Style | Leaner, tart, and astringent with a highly complex, dry spice profile. | Noticeably sweeter, rounder, and more decadent on the palate. |
| Distillery Saltiness | Pronounced coastal brine and sea-air saltiness hitting straight away on the nose. | Subtle maritime sea-spray notes that emerge much later into the finish. |
| Texture & Mouthfeel | Oily, crisp, and distinctly malty. | Creamy, dense, and heavily wood-driven. |
| Finish Profile | Extremely long, vibrant, and sherbet finish dominated by saltwater taffy. | Very long, warming finish leaning heavily into rich cocoa and seasoned oak. |
Official Tasting Notes:
- The Character: Full-bodied with a unique twist of sweetness from Spanish oak maturation.
- Nose: Sweet and pronounced. It features instant hints of premium chocolate and vanilla.
- Palate: Highly complex. It leads with deep butterscotch and baked pears.
- Finish: An unforgettable, long finish. It retains the traditional coastal depth and salty sea air
ABV: 46%
SIZE: 70cl
Condition & Authenticity
As specialists in vintage and rare spirits, we prioritize complete transparency. Older bottles are delicate, and time naturally alters the liquid, cork, and seal.
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- Request Custom Photos: We post a few standard reference photographs of this bottle above. Because we know serious collectors require a closer look, we will gladly take and send you highly detailed, close-up photos of the fill level, seal, or label before you buy.
- Inspect In-Store: We invite you to inspect this bottle in person at our physical store at 16 Douglas Square, Newcastleton, where we house our collection safely.
- Our Return Policy: No one can fully verify how handlers stored a bottle before it arrived in our cellar, or how a buyer will store it after it leaves our custody. For this reason, we do not accept returns, refunds, or exchanges for cork failures, leaks, or fluid degradation after delivery.
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