Old Pulteney 25 Year Old is a Highland single malt Scotch whisky from the distillery in Wick on the Caithness coast, matured for a quarter of a century in two types of cask. This Highland single malt was distilled at Old Pulteney in Wick on the Caithness coast and matured for a total of 25 years by the sea, drawing on the characteristics that have earned Old Pulteney the nickname "The Maritime Malt". The distillery was founded in 1826 and was for a long time the northernmost operation on the British mainland.
The profile of this edition is shaped by sequential maturation. First came American ex-bourbon barrels, then Oloroso sherry butts. The producer reveals that this is not a brief finish. Assistant distillery manager Russell Angus explains that the 15- and 18-year-old expressions mature first in American oak and are then transferred into Spanish ex-sherry casks, while the 25-year-old spends considerably longer in the sherry casks, roughly 5–6 years, giving a greater sherry influence and more florality here. The whisky is bottled at 46%.
The nose is dominated by bright fruit. Orange, lemon and lime appear, alongside vanilla, soft toffee and smooth chocolate. On the palate, texture leads ahead of the fruit. It is silky and velvety, with sweet notes of orange, another dose of vanilla and cocoa powder. The finish is long and spicy. Cocoa, nutmeg, dry sherry and warming cask spices resonate through it.
The edition has a documented competition record. This refreshed 25-year-old expression was bottled at 46% and awarded gold medals at both the IWSC and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The character of the bottle is bound together by the maritime aura of its place of origin. The finish is long and deeply coastal – the character of Wick resonates right to the very end.