Maritime Malt

If you’ve ever tried maritime malts, you’d realize the distinct savoury taste. If you’ve sniffed a malt and thought it smelled salty, you should know that saltiness is a taste and not really a smell–try differentiating between salt and sugar at home by smell solely and you may possibly fail. However, there are things that definitely have a different aroma and are salty or at least we connect them with saltiness. This is the reason the term that is usually accepted when mentioning whisky aroma is “briny”.

Situated on the most northerly shores of Scotland, where the North Sea meets the Caithness coast, is a distillery called Old Pulteney and their whisky is long renowned as maritime malt. “Whilst scientifically we don’t know for certain how our location affects our whisky , what we do know is that by virtue of the location, our warehouses are exposed to the costal high humidity air that no doubt carries water from the North Sea. This, in turn, is likely deposited onto the casks, and in my opinion, this is where the influence comes from–call it that little bit of ‘whisky magic’ but there’s really no doubt that the sea imprints on Pulteney’s house style,” says Lukasz Dynowiak, Global Brand Ambassador, International Beverage.

 

 

 

Pulteney Distillery lies at the centre of its hometown -Wick. Just like the hometown, Pulteney Distillery is flexible, gratified, and has deep roots.

 

 

 

 

 

For non-scotch drinkers, all of this could seem a little daunting at first and the biggest barrier that they face is aspects such as the characters, terminology, choice of glass, and method of tasting.

 

 

So, the best place to begin is to learn more about the complexities of Scotch by visiting a whisky tasting or possibly even experiencing a dram with someone that already has some information about Scotch.

 

 

 

Another great way to slide into it is by trying whisky cocktails. whisky is the king of classic cocktails, Highball, Old Fashioned, Manhattan, or Julep, and it’s a great way for less experienced people to make their palates get acquainted with the character of whisky before trying a neat serve.

 

 

 

 

 

It goes without saying how well every alcoholic drink pairs well with food; however when pairing food and whisky , the best way to ensure that your pairing is a winner is to go for food ingredients and recipes that oppose the flavours of the whisky . The same principles while combining wine with food applies here–it’s all about balance. Too much difference can make one element overwhelm the other. Little, the difference, on the other hand, will jump on the plate and draw out the best flavourings in both the whisky and the food.

 

 

 

 

 

The brand ambassador at Old Pulteney, Lukasz Dynowiak, describes the following combination of whisky and food--a total winner in his book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Old Pulteney 12

 

 

 

 

· Oysters
· White Chocolate
· Fudge

 

 

Old Pulteney Huddart
· Smoked almonds
· Hot-smoked salmon
· Stilton

 

 

Old Pulteney 15YO
· Lancashire white cheese
· Lobster
· Crème brûlée

 

 

Old Pulteney 18YO
· Crumbly cheddar
· Smoked mackerel
· Praline chocolates