Two hundred years after the first spirit ran from its stills above the harbour at Wick, Old Pulteney is celebrating its bicentennial with a limited-edition 10-year-old single malt available from the 25th May 2026, the Old Pulteney 200th Anniversary Distillery Exclusive, which is available only from the distillery’s Brand Home in Wick or via its website, keeping this a truly limited edition whisky and one any collector will want to get their hands on. The Luxury Editor was lucky enough to try this release and even have a tasting of it with Distillery Manager Malcolm Waring on a recent trip to Old Pulteney (read about our experience here).
The 10-year-old honours two centuries of whisky making, whilst venturing into new territory for the brand. The whisky has been matured in American oak ex-Bourbon casks before finishing in both ex-Manzanilla and ex-Oloroso sherry casks, which is a first for the distillery, which traditionally leans on bourbon and French oak. Tasting notes from Old Pulteney highlight vanilla, citrus, caramelised pear and polished oak on the nose, with crème caramel, lemon zest, salted chocolate and cinnamon on the palate, finishing sweet and salty. The Manzanilla finish is a deliberate nod to Old Pulteney’s long-standing nickname, “the Manzanilla of the North”, earned through the dry, saline character imparted by its maritime location on the North Sea.
Malcolm Waring, Distillery Manager at Pulteney Distillery, commented: “Reaching 200 years is a truly significant milestone for Old Pulteney and a proud moment for everyone connected to our distillery, both past and present. For two centuries, the distillery has remained deeply rooted in its coastal home of Wick, with its location and maritime climate playing an integral role in shaping the distinctive character of our whisky.
Sarah Burgess, Master of Whisky Creation at Old Pulteney, said the Manzanilla casks were discovered in the distillery’s warehouses among stock laid down by earlier generations. “Finding whisky laid down by previous generations that had been further matured in ex-Manzanilla casks felt like discovering a hidden gift,” she said, adding that the Oloroso finish brought depth to the spirit’s gentle salinity.
The Old Pulteney 200th Anniversary Distillery Exclusive is priced at £99 and is available now via Old Pulteney’s Brand Home in Wick or via the distillery’s website here oldpulteney.com.
