In 2012, the Pulteney Distillery in Wick, the most northerly distillery on the UK mainland, unveiled a truly exceptional release for whisky lovers in the form of the Limited Edition 40 Year Old, the same year that Old Pulteney 21 Year Old single malt Scotch whisky was hailed as ‘World Whisky of the Year’ by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.
In celebration of the oldest Pulteney bottling to date and to reflect the quality and rarity of the whisky, every aspect of the Limited Edition 40 Year Old expression is exquisite and designed to embody the intrigue, craft and history of the ‘Maritime Malt’.
The expertise of Pulteney Distillery Manager, Malcolm Waring lies at the heart of each bottle, who personally selects and hand-fills each one individually from the ex American bourbon and Spanish sherry casks where this fine malt has been maturing over the decades. The time-honoured skills of one of Britain’s finest glass producers, Tudor Crystal Design, have been deployed in the creation of the hand-blown Old Pulteney 40 Year Old bottle. Their craftsmen have fashioned a most striking and intricate design – retaining the original Old Pulteney bottle shape but deepest blue in colour with a shimmering silver ‘wave’ motif, created by blowing solid silver into the dark glass as it was crafted.
Each closure for the 40 Year Old bottle is unique, hewn by local Caithness stonemasons from a single Caithness flagstone, carefully whittled down into a series of unique pieces which were then individually polished and milled into the perfect stopper shape. A Scottish hallmarked solid silver roundel depicting the age of the whisky completes the bottle’s premium finish.
The luxurious design continues with a highest quality dark blue gloss lacquered wooden gift box, silver etched with the Old Pulteney logo and a classic herring drifter image. A hand-signed book written by whisky expert Charles MacLean, telling the fascinating tale of Old Pulteney’s history, completes the 40 Year Old’s presentation.
Inside each distinctive bottle lies the superb Old Pulteney 40 Year Old whisky itself. Rich amber in appearance with a red hue, it has a fruity and floral aroma, slightly spicy with hints of oranges, green apples and butterscotch. Sweet and spicy on the palate, it has traces of toffee and pears, leading to a full bodied and long-lasting finish with sherry notes.
Old Pulteney 40 Year Old is bottled at natural strength and retails at £1,490 per bottle.
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