International Beverage unveils Old Pulteney Polaris for 2025 Distillers One of One auction – Scotch Whisky News
International Beverage unveils Old Pulteney Polaris for 2025 Distillers One of One auction
Masterpiece of Caithness craftsmanship features 47-year-old whisky, Old Pulteney’s oldest ever release
International Beverage has today (Thursday 17th July) unveiled Old Pulteney Polaris, its most extraordinary bottling of Old Pulteney single malt Scotch whisky to date, created exclusively for the 2025 Distillers One of One charity auction.
This one-of-a-kind masterpiece of artisanal skill and artistry features a rare 47-year-old expression of the Maritime Malt, which is the Wick distillery’s oldest ever release.
Valued between £26,000 and £40,000, it is encased in a stunning sculpture of Caithness slate and silver, which are both naturally found in the Distillery’s windswept coastal home in the far north of Scotland, with an additional enhancement of a secret copper disc at the base of the structure which has been carefully reclaimed from Pulteney Distillery’s stills.
Polaris takes its name from the North Star, symbolising a bold, bright future for Old Pulteney as International Beverage plans a global celebration of the Distillery’s milestone 200th anniversary in 2026 – and the beginning of an exciting programme of new releases.
For guests at this year’s Distillers One of One charity auction, Polaris offers the chance to own a unique and never-to-be-repeated piece of Old Pulteney’s history when they gather for the prestigious biennial auction, which takes place at Hopetoun House in Edinburgh on 10th October.
Polaris follows on from Old Pulteney’s previous contribution to the 2023 auction – Bow Wave – which raised nearly £70,000 for the event’s main beneficiary: the Youth Action Fund, a charity dedicated to transforming the lives of young people in Scotland.
The whisky
Distilled and aged at Old Pulteney’s windswept home in Wick on the far north Scottish coast, this whisky captures an authentic maritime character that is unparalleled. Old Pulteney Polaris has been carefully matured for four decades in American oak casks with a final seven years spent resting in a single first-fill Spanish oak butt.
Selected for its elegantly complex and perfectly balanced character, this exceptional whisky boasts complex aromas of sea spray that the Maritime Malt is renowned for. On the palate, delicate vanilla and sweet cinnamon pastry come to the fore with a smooth, fine-textured taste featuring Scottish tablet and dark chocolate, ending with a finish of clotted cream. A 1.5 litre bottle with an ABV of 43.6%, the Lot will include a 100ml tasting sample.
The bottle
Honouring the industrial craftsmanship behind each drop of Old Pulteney, the Polaris bottle has been expertly designed and crafted in partnership with local artisans including Tain-based glass merchant Glasstorm to symbolize and celebrate the whisky’s coastal Scottish home. A deep blue glass bottle, represents the crashing waves of the Caithness coast, with intricate inciso cuts creating a rippled effect around the glassware. Caithness slate encases the bottle, symbolising the enduring cliffs found on this part of Scotland’s northerly coastline, and the bottle’s smooth front allows the luxurious mahogany hues of the whisky to shine through. Threads of Caithness silver run along the bottom of the dramatic slate structure to mimic the motion of waves and are beautifully intertwined with cords of copper.
Renowned whisky expert, Dave Broom, praises its remarkable taste: ‘This deep amber whisky opens with a captivating nose of luxurious stone fruits, citrus zest, and a complex evolution toward oxidative notes like medlar and cob nut, lifted by the sensation of a cool seashore breeze. The palate is thick and waxy, mingling soft, late-harvest fruit with cedar-spiced tannins and a hint of salinity, evoking a windswept clifftop. A splash of water reveals greater mineral depth and incense-like spice, while the finish sees the return of fruit after the saltiness fades – mature and balanced.’
Award-winning whisky writer, Jonny McCormick, further compliments the whisky’s incredible flavour profile: ‘Old Pulteney Polaris glows rich amber with burnished gold highlights. The first wave of aromas opens with a bold coastal nose of sea spray, molasses cake, nutmeg, and deep oak, before revealing layers of vanilla, espresso foam, and hints of baked apple and peppermint. On the palate, it’s silky and vibrant, with Scottish tablet, citrus peel, and a rolling wave of grilled pineapple, cherry cake, and toasted spice, all carried by a mineral backbone. The finish is indulgent and lingering, merging dark chocolate and coffee with soft oak, clotted cream, and a final lift of white chocolate and nutmeg.’
Fiona Kennie, Marketing Director at International Beverage, said: ‘We are exceptionally proud to be sharing Old Pulteney Polaris with the word today, a project that has been a real labour of love for our team and the skilled designers and local makers in Caithness who have turned our vision into such a magnificent reality. Charity and making a difference in our community is at the heart of our business, so we are very excited to follow the progress of Polaris at this year’s Distillers One of One auction, where we hope our contribution will raise as much money as possible for such an important cause. And for whisky lovers, this is an absolute treasure and a fitting release to mark the countdown to Pulteney Distillery’s 200th milestone next year, when we will have more exciting new releases with rarity, craftsmanship and Old Pulteney’s authentic maritime character to share.’
To register interest in this auction, visit the Distillers’ One of One website.
About International Beverage
About International Beverage International Beverage is the international arm of Thai Beverage Public Limited Company. The premium spirits company’s portfolio is led by a range of high-quality brands including Old Pulteney single malt Scotch whisky, Hankey Bannister blended Scotch whisky, Caorunn Gin, PRAKAAN single malt whisky and Phraya Rum from Thailand, Larsen Cognac, and Cardrona spirits and liqueurs.
A certified Great Place to Work, International Beverage’s success is shaped by its 700-strong team based across the business network of nine global sites spanning the UK, France, New Zealand and Greater China, following the company’s recent acquisition of Asiaeuro International Beverage (AIB). For more information please visit www.interbevgroup.com
About The Distillers One of One® Auction
One of One® and Distillers One of One® are registered trademarks of The Distillers’ Charity
The Distillers One of One Auction is a biennial series of ultra-rare whisky auctions. The Auctions have raised a total of £4.3 million for charitable purposes since 2021 and uniquely, 100% of the fundraising goes to grant making, with 90% of that amount going to the Youth Action Fund and 10% going to The Distillers’ Charity for its general charitable purposes.
With a total of eighty-one unique lots created across the past two auctions, 37 of which broke world sales records for the distilleries in question, the Distillers One of One has earned its reputation as a once-in-a-lifetime experience for collectors. Each lot is imbued with the spirit of craftsmanship and exclusivity, representing the pinnacle of Scotch whisky. No two bottles are the same, and no lot will ever be recreated – a powerful draw for the most discerning collectors.
The Distillers One of One® is a trading name of The Distillers’ Ventures Limited, a company registered in England & Wales under company number 13264121 and registered office at 1 The Sanctuary, Westminster, London SW1P 3JT
Tasting Notes
Dave Broom
Dave Broom is a freelance writer specialising in spirits since 1995 and was a contributing editor to Whisky Magazine – one of the world’s leading whisky publications – until 201X. An award-winning writer, Dave is the author of a number of books including ‘The World Atlas of Whisky’, now in its third edition. Having built an international following, he is now actively involved in whisky education.
Colour: Deep amber.
Nose: Deep, oily/waxy and even slightly resinous. Immediately, there’s great concentration of luscious fruits: baked peach, apricot, red apple cut with a zesty mix of orange oil and fresh ginger. Layered and chewy (some toffee). The aromas continue to deepen and become more strange and oxidative: bletted medlar, cob nut, old-style cobbler’s workshop, but then given lift by a gorse/whin freshness and the sensation of a cool seashore breeze. Driven by distillate and time, not wood. A gorgeous, old style.
Palate: Thick, waxy texture. Palate-clinging, all fats, sealing wax, late harvest soft fruits with that touch of decay to them. This is immediately contrasted with a jag of the citrus seen on the nose. The fruits become compressed as the oils build, there’s a touch of rabbit glue, while the wood adds silky tannins and its own aromatic, cedary qualities. Things remain soft and flowing before some light salinity tingles on the sides of the tongue. A clifftop walk in a stiff breeze. Lovely balance.
While water is probably best kept on the side to refresh the palate, a drop or two increases the oxidised elements, adding in light sandalwood incense. Now it is more open, more mineralic, a thrilling mix of acidity, toasted wood and savouriness. Mature, wise with a wildness to it.
Finish: The saltiness fades and the fruits return.
Jonny McCormick
Jonny McCormick has been writing about whisky for 20 years and is Contributing Editor for Whisky Advocate magazine (M. Shanken Communications Inc.), the largest spirits title in the United States. He judges the Whisky Advocate Top 20 in New York each year and has reviewed more than 2,000 whiskies as a member of their tasting panel. He was made a Keeper of the Quaich in 2013, and co-wrote Whisky Opus (DK, 2024) with Gavin D. Smith.
‘Rich amber with burnished gold highlights. The first wave of aromas breaks from the glass to invigorate the senses with sea spray, molasses cake, nutmeg, leather, oak char, and cacao. Like plunging your nose deep inside the cask, notes of ozone, vanilla pod, resinous oak, Brazil nut, and espresso foam emerge, backed with hints of baked apple, barmbrack, and peppermint. It’s a perfect fusion of the elements, bringing together the heart of the ocean with a heart of oak. With hallmarks of great maturity, such surefooted and memorable olfactory pleasures cannot be rushed.
‘This dram dances on the tongue, silky smooth and fine-textured, a melange of Scottish tablet, soft oak, and vibrant, tangy citrus peel, teasing the taste buds with little bursts of fruit that ebb and flow amid a rolling tide of ocean-lashed oak. Roasted citrus notes evolve, anchored by a firm minerality that enriches the flavour, plotting a course between grilled pineapple, cherry and almond cake, and a hint of gingersnap, before gliding into a deep pool of dark chocolate, coffee, supple oak, and chopped nuts, and sinking into a satisfying finish of clotted cream, white chocolate, and nutmeg.’
