Whisky Focus - Old Pulteney 1989 Vintage Crowned 'World’s Best Single Malt'

Old Pulteney 1989 Vintage crowned the 'World’s Best Single Malt' at the Whisky Magazine’s World Whiskies Awards 2016.

The folks at Pulteney Distillery in Wick are celebrating this week following the Wick distillery's latest triumph at the World Whiskies Awards 2016 where the Old Pulteney 1989 Vintage was crowned the 'World’s Best Single Malt'.

The distillery picked up the prestigious awrd last Thursday 17th March at the annual Whisky Magazine’s World Whiskies Awards which was hosted at the Grand Connaught Rooms in London.

Only the the very best whiskies in the world are nominated, and this year saw a record number of entries which made it a very tough competition, and the win even sweeter for the 'Maritime Malt' .

The peated Old Pulteney 1989 Vintage was released in September 2015, its distinctive smoky character comes from maturation in hand-selected American oak ex-bourbon barrels, which previously held heavily peated malt.

Old Pulteney Senior Brand Manager Margaret Mary Clarke was thrilled to hear news of the success. She commented: "This is a wonderful win for everyone at Pulteney Distillery and we couldn’t be more proud to have our 1989 Vintage recognised as the world’s best single malt. When we released the whisky last year it was a real hit with whisky enthusiasts and Old Pulteney devotees, who already recognise the quality and character of our full range of fine single malts. Last night’s award is another great testament to the dedicated Distillery team up in Wick whose passion and skill for creating incredible malt whiskies continue to be recognised around the world."

The Managing Editor of Whisky Magazine, Mr Rupert Wheeler said: "This year has seen a record number of entries into our World Whiskies Awards and the Icons of Whisky continue to grow with the addition of new categories. I was delighted to have met so many guests last night, all of which make the whisky industry a pleasure to be a part of. The evening went extremely well and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the judges and sponsors of all of our awards. We look forward to doing it all over again next year."

Each distinctively designed bottle of Old Pulteney 1989 Vintage is natural in colour, non-chill filtered and bottled at 46%. On the palate the distillery describe it as peaty to start, with a heavy, spicy underpinning and notes of vanilla, coconut and oranges giving this indulgent single malt a long-lasting finish.

The Old Pulteney 1989 was released in global markets last year with an RRP £135 per bottle but that is sure to have gone up given it is a limited edition and interest in the whisky is sure to peak given this award so if you have a bottle you are one of the lucky ones. Meanwhile you will find a great range of Old Pulteney available form specialists whisky shops such as The Whisky Exchange.
 

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