Whisky Craft Pulteney 16 Year Old

Key Facts About This Single Malt Scotch

Bottler: Whisky Craft

Founders: Sonny Charles

Distillery: Pulteney

Age: 16 years old

Bottled: 2026

Region: Highlands, Scotland

Spirit: Single malt scotch

Cask Type: Pinot noir finish

Alcohol by Volume: Cask strength, 54.6%

Bottled: Natural colour and without chill filtration

Outturn: 256 bottles

Bottle Size: 700ml

Pulteney 16 Year Old Tasting Notes

Nose: Strawberry jam on toast, with a lovely mix of sweet red fruit and savoury depth. Salted meat comes through underneath, followed by a touch of brine and coastal freshness.

Palate: Sweetness arrives first, quickly followed by an immediate fiery heat. The coastal character is present, bringing salt, spice and a firm maritime edge alongside the Pinot Noir fruit.

Finish: The fire continues across the palate, before settling into a softer sweetness. Warming, coastal and fruit-led, with a sweet final impression.

About this Whisky Craft release

This Pulteney 16 Year Old from Whisky Craft, founded by Sonny Charles, is a distinctive Highland single malt that combines the unmistakable maritime character of Pulteney with the vibrant fruit influence of a Pinot Noir wine cask finish.

Bottled in 2026 after 16 years of maturation, this release explores an intriguing combination of coastal whisky and elegant red wine influence. Pinot Noir casks are prized for adding bright berry fruit, gentle tannins, and subtle spice, while allowing the distillery character to remain clearly visible. In this whisky, the finish enhances rather than disguises Pulteney’s naturally salty, robust spirit.

Produced by Pulteney Distillery, the spirit is renowned for its maritime style, often displaying sea salt, mineral freshness, and a gentle oiliness that reflects its coastal home in Wick. The Pinot Noir finish introduces an entirely new dimension, layering sweet red fruits over that familiar salty backbone.

The nose opens with strawberry jam spread generously over warm toast, followed by ripe red berries and an appealing savoury depth. As it develops, notes of salted meat, coastal brine, and fresh sea air emerge, creating an engaging balance between sweetness and maritime character. The palate begins with rich fruit sweetness before a lively burst of spice and cask-strength warmth arrives. The Pinot Noir contributes soft berry flavours and gentle tannins, while the distillery’s signature saltiness and coastal freshness provide structure and complexity.

The finish is long and warming, with the initial heat gradually softening into lingering red fruit sweetness, maritime salinity, and delicate spice that leaves a lasting impression.

Bottled at cask strength (54.6% ABV), with natural colour and without chill filtration, this whisky offers excellent texture and intensity while remaining balanced throughout. With an outturn of just 256 bottles, it is a limited release that demonstrates how sympathetically a Pinot Noir finish can complement one of Scotland’s great coastal malts.

A vibrant and characterful Highland whisky where red berry sweetness meets sea-spray freshness in a beautifully balanced dram.