2007 Pulteney, AD Rattray 18 yo 53.4%

In 2026, the year this whisky was bottled, Old Pulteney distillery celebrates its 200th anniversary. Lying in the small conurbation of Wick, 20 miles down the road from John o` Groats, for almost all of those 200 years it has been the northernmost distillery on the British mainland. In the early days, it was quite inaccessible except by sea. But the great benefit of a coastal warehouse is the particular character sea air brings a whisky during maturation. This well-matured 18-year-old is a beauty, bringing a maritime character to ripe orchard fruits and warming spice, all with the added complexity and finesse of age. (NT 09/07/26)