Pulteney Distillery
On the most northerly shores of Scotland, where the North Sea meets the Caithness coast, there is a town; home to a whisky which captures the very essence of its location.
Since 1826, Pulteney Distillery has been crafting exceptional single malt Scotch whisky. With traditional warehouses exposed to the invigorating sea air blowing in off the North Sea, Old Pulteney captures the taste of the sea in every drop of its liquid gold. Defined and shaped by its stunning coastal location, Old Pulteney owes much to its home town of Wick.
Capacity - 1.8MLPA
6 Washbacks
Worm tub condensers
Spirit Still Size - 17,343L
2 Racked and 3 Dunnage Warehouses
Wash Still Size - 21,707L
Malcolm Waring
Distillery Manager
Distillery Manager Malcolm Waring has been at the helm of Pulteney Distillery for over 15 years. A hometown boy raised in Wick, he began his career as a boat-builder before starting on the first rung of the whisky ladder with the Pulteney team in 1990. Working his way through all areas of the distillery - maturation warehouses, the mash room and on to the stills – he slowly learnt the craft of making fine malt whisky. His skill and enthusiasm saw him progress to brewing manager and later assistant distillery manager, before he moved on in 2000 to Pulteney’s sister distillery Knockdhu in his first managerial position. Here he led production of anCnoc single malt Scotch whisky for six years, before returning to his hometown and to Pulteney Distillery as manager in August 2006.
In the modern day, Malcolm’s role has been critical to Old Pulteney’s success. Little has changed in the way he and his team craft their whisky, retaining techniques that other distillers have long forgotten, alongside meticulous cask selection. Every bottle of Old Pulteney has a quality and depth of character that is hard to match, delivering a flavour spectrum across the range from honey to citrus to spice – always with a distinctive coastal quality. Thanks to his skilled stewardship, Old Pulteney has grown in scale and stature in markets around the world, winning a slew of gold and silver medals in international competitions and some of the industry’s most coveted accolades.
Sustainability at Pulteney Distillery
Our commitment to sustainability runs through all that we do. From water stewardship to energy efficiency, our pro-active approach has been years in the making and we work closely with the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) in our efforts to achieve net-zero carbon by 2040.
Water Stewardship
As one of Scotland’s most northerly mainland distilleries, we’re situated in a water-constrained area. We take a two-pronged approach to ensure we actively manage our water supply 1) working in partnership with SEPA to ensure we have clear, practical and carefully monitored policies to manage daily water use and 2) investing in innovation to make positive changes for the future.
Energy Reduction
Pulteney Distillery collaborated in what was to be one of the UK’s first ‘District Heating Schemes’. Set up in 2012, the distillery provided land on which to build an energy centre, now owned by Ignis Biomass. Locally sourced wood chip is used in a 3.5-megawatt biomass boiler to supply heat to around 200 homes and public buildings – including Wick General Hospital – as well as steam to the distillery’s production process.
The use of renewable steam rather than heavy fuels to power the distillery has resulted in a large reduction of distillery emissions. For the local Wick community, it means a green and relatively low-cost energy supply.
Co-products
We are developing innovative methods to recycle the co-products of our whisky distillation. Our aim is to reuse all co-products and reduce our water consumption.
We split the draff between animal feeds and power generation.
Distillery Location
Pulteney Distillery was established in 1826 in the heart of 'Pulteneytown', the town created to house fishermen at a time when Wick was a thriving fishing port and known as the herring capital of Europe. One of the most northerly distilleries on the British mainland, it sits on the wild eastern tip of the breathtaking Caithness coastline, where gusts of North Sea air blow across its warehouses, giving every drop of whisky its subtle briny quality.