PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Old Pulteney has long carried the nickname "the maritime malt," a reputation earned from its home in Wick, on the far northeastern tip of the Scottish mainland, where salt-laden coastal air is genuinely credited with shaping the distillery's distinctively briny, sea-spray character. This particular cask, distilled May 27, 2008, spent its early years maturing in bourbon barrels before undergoing a genuinely extended finishing period — 44 months, well over three and a half years — in a single fresh sherry butt, cask No. 22, bottled March 17, 2022, at a full 13 years of age.
Signatory Vintage's own approach to Pulteney single casks tends to favor exactly this kind of formula: extended initial maturation in refill or bourbon wood, followed by a genuinely substantial "supercharging" finish in fresh sherry butts, rather than more experimental cask types. Malt Review's coverage of Signatory's broader Pulteney releases confirms this consistent house pattern, describing casks handled with real patience and restraint — no rum, tequila, Champagne, stout, or red wine finishes here, just a disciplined commitment to sherry-driven depth.
First Fill Spirits' own tasting notes for this exact cask describe "coastal brine with fruit punch, citrus, and a salty dash of smoke," continuing "with an oily, nutty palate with more fruit and sweet, glazed ham." Hi Proof's official tasting notes add further detail, describing the nose as "dried fruit, sherry sweetness, toasted oak, vanilla, and gentle spice," developing on the palate into "rich malt, dark fruit, sherry, baking spices, and oak," closing "long, warming, complex, with lingering dried fruit and spice." For broader house-style context, a related Signatory Pulteney sherry-finished cask found by Malt Review delivered "one of the thickest drams I've tasted in all my years; honestly, this is like chewing on caramel," with "molasses, polished leather, fruit mince and earthiness," concluding "the character of the original distillate shone through" despite the extended sherry influence. This is genuinely rich, coastal, sherry-finished Highland whisky — bottled at true cask strength, entirely without dilution, chill filtration, or added colour.
Signatory Vintage Old Pulteney 13 Year Old is sourced from Pulteney Distillery in Wick, on Scotland's far northeastern Highland coast, a distillery long nicknamed "the maritime malt" for its distinctive coastal, briny character. This single cask, No. 22, was distilled on May 27, 2008, matured initially in bourbon barrels, then finished for 44 months in a single fresh sherry butt, before being bottled on March 17, 2022, at 13 years of age.
The whisky is bottled by Signatory Vintage, one of Scotland's largest and longest-running independent bottlers, based adjacent to Edradour distillery near Pitlochry in Perthshire, as part of their Cask Strength Collection. Bottled non-chill filtered, in natural colour, at cask strength — 56.2% ABV / 112.4 proof.
First Fill Spirits (official tasting note, this exact cask):
"Distilled on May 27th 2008 and bottled on March 17th 2022, Cask No. 22, matured in Bourbon Barrels and then finished in a fresh Sherry Butt for 44 months. Coastal brine with fruit punch, citrus, and a salty dash of smoke. It continues with an oily, nutty palate with more fruit and sweet, glazed ham."
Hi Proof (official tasting note, this exact cask):
"Nose: Dried fruit, sherry sweetness, toasted oak, vanilla, and gentle spice. Palate: Rich malt, dark fruit, sherry, baking spices, and oak. Finish: Long, warming, complex, with lingering dried fruit and spice. Bottled at an impressive 112.4 Proof without dilution, this cask-strength expression delivers a powerful yet balanced tasting experience."
Malt Review (extended independent review, related Signatory Pulteney sherry cask):
"A clean cask, no off notes here — though it is all cask on the nose. In the mouth: one of the thickest drams I've tasted in all my years; honestly, this is like chewing on caramel. A slight tinge of alcohol before molasses, polished leather, fruit mince and earthiness. More so than [other Signatory releases], the character of the original distillate shone through in this dram."
Nose
Coastal brine and fruit punch lead, joined by citrus and a salty dash of smoke, alongside dried fruit, sherry sweetness, toasted oak, and gentle spice.
Palate
Oily and nutty, with rich malt and dark fruit carrying the entry, developing sweet glazed ham, baking spice, and oak, all layered over genuine sherry-driven depth.
Finish
Long, warming, and complex, closing with lingering dried fruit and spice — a genuinely rich, full-flavored close reflecting both the 44-month sherry finish and true cask strength.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Style | Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky — Single Cask, Cask Strength |
| ABV / Proof | 56.2% ABV / 112.4 Proof |
| Age | 13 Years |
| Cask | No. 22 |
| Distilled | May 27, 2008 |
| Bottled | March 17, 2022 |
| Maturation | Bourbon barrels, finished 44 months in a fresh sherry butt |
| Distillery | Old Pulteney — Wick, Highland, Scotland |
| Bottler | Signatory Vintage |
| Series | Cask Strength Collection |
| Chill Filtered | No |
| Colour | Natural |
| Style / Identity | A genuinely rich, coastal, sherry-finished Highland malt — "the maritime malt," supercharged with real sherry depth |
| Aromas & Flavors | Coastal brine, fruit punch, citrus, dried fruit, dark fruit, glazed ham, baking spice |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
Enjoy neat in a Glencairn glass to appreciate the full interplay of coastal brine and sherry richness; a few drops of water can help open additional layers.
Bottle Size: All bottles are 750ML/700ML unless otherwise noted.
21 and Over: Adult Signature Required
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