Malcolm Waring is a hometown boy who made good - he was raised in Wick, Scotland, home of Old Pulteney single malt Scotch whisky, also known as the "genuine maritime malt."

Waring joined Pulteney in 1990 where he began working in all areas of the distillery, from the maturation warehouses to the mash room and on to the stills. He progressed to brewing manager and later assistant distillery manager. During his time as assistant manager, he also looked after a number of additional distilleries owned by Inver House in the Scottish Highlands, such as Balblair and Balmenach.

In 2000, Waring joined Knockdhu Distillery as distillery manager, where he led production on the anCnoc brand of single malt Scotch whisky for the next six years. Among his key achievements at the Highlands distillery was the award-winning 14-year-old non-chill filtered seasonal single malt.

Waring returned to Pulteney Distillery as distillery manager in August 2006, and Waring says he is delighted with his return. "I always had an inclination that I’d return to Wick, and it’s great to be a part of the Inver House family. All of the distillery managers at Inver House are close, and we regularly speak to each other – sharing our ideas and experiences. It is a great opportunity for us all."

As distillery manager, Waring is integral to Pulteney’s success with responsibilities covering all aspects of whisky production - from malted barley intake, through distilling, to the filling of casks and warehousing of maturing whisky. He prioritizes maintaining the distillery’s rich production heritage while continuously improving operations to benefit the distillery and the environment in the long run.

As Pulteney is just introducing some new expressions to the U.S., it seemed a good time to speak with Waring.

Question #1
Adams Beverage Group (ABG):You've just launched two Old Pulteney expressions - 17 Year Old and 21 Year Old - into the U.S. market: what are their main characteristics?

Jill Kerr: Both of the new expressions maintain the Pulteney theme that you’ve seen in the 12 year old, mainly the floral, estery and citrus characteristics. However, for the new expressions, we’ve slighted modified the maturation from the 12 year old, which is matured 100% in American Bourbon casks, and it creates nice variations on the theme. <br>
The main characteristics of the 17 year old come from the fact that we’ve matured 10% of it in oloroso sherry casks, so the tannin levels are a little bit higher than the 12 year old. There is a nice balance of sweetness and tannin and because of that it has a bit more mouth-feel to it and is slightly spicier. The oils of the tannin also give the 17 year old the longest finish of the three. <br>
In the 21 year old we’ve matured one-third in fino sherry casks. The other two-thirds are in second fill American bourbon casks, so you still have a variation on the theme. With the 21 year old you‘ll notice a little bit more apple flavor. It is also slightly smoky and a bit drier, but very smooth and creamy.

Question #2
ABG: Old Pulteney is the most northerly mainland Scotland distillery - how does that influence the whiskies?

Kerr: The coastal location of the distillery is a big influence on our final product. The coastal air brings in a sense of the brininess and the microflora from the sea to our whisky. Our rural location also lends itself to our traditional methods. Both our uniquely shaped still, which is much squatter than most, and our use of worm tubs instead of modern condensers produce an oily, even meaty, spirit. I’d say the influence of the coast and our maritime heritage are very apparent, and as soon as you pop the cork on a bottle of Pulteney you’ll notice.

Question #3
ABG: Single malts are showing slow yet steady growth in the U.S., as opposed to blends, which are essentially flat, and most single malt brands are offering extended age expressions, special wood finishes, etc. How will you manage to get Old Pulteney to stand out in this crowded marketplace?

Kerr: Old Pulteney will stand out, I believe, because of our uniqueness. We have something slightly different from the mainstream malts. I think that Pulteney is there for somebody who knows a little bit about malt whisky and wants to try something a little bit unusual. In my mind, the biggest thing that separates us is our traditional methods. A lot of distilleries are going down the route of bringing in things like computer control and automation. We have no computer controls anywhere in the distillery. All of our production is controlled by a man with a lot of years of experience. Someone who really knows what he is doing and can use instincts and feeling in his job everyday. So, that has a big influence. If we were to have computers to do that, it would fundamentally change our whole whisky. These methods, along with our location and the theme that runs throughout all the expressions gives Pulteney a difference that I believe consumers appreciate.

Question #4
ABG: The two brands got off to a propitious start, receiving Double Gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirits competition; were you surprised?

Kerr: No, I was not surprised one bit! I know exactly what is in the bottle and I hope everyone else finds out and sees it--they will know why I was not surprised. If you drink it, you’ll know why.

However, it was gratifying to have such a positive response. You put something away for 10 years, 17 years, 21 years and wait for the result. We put a lot of time and effort into what we are doing and it’s good to see it go into the vault and out to the marketplace, but when something comes back and you’re a double gold medal winner, it brings you a lot of hope as to what this is all about. It’s good, but not surprising because I knew what we had.

Question #5
ABG: If you were asked to describe the essence of Old Pulteney in three words, what would you say?

Kerr: Location - Our position on the northern coast really influences everything about what we do. From the sea air to our maritime heritage, it truly affects our final product.

Tradition - Using the traditional methods that have been employed since the distillery was founded in 1826 will continue to be important to Pulteney Distillery.

Personal Investment - This product is very personal to every man who works on Old Pulteney. We bring years of personal experience to the production and are very proud of our whisky.

Question #6
ABG: How did you get your start in the whisky business?

Kerr:I started my career right here at Pulteney Distillery, 21 years ago. John Black was the manager of Pulteney Distillery at the time. I was introduced to him through my wife’s parents and he effectively offered me a job on the spot—in fact I’m still waiting on my interview! I worked my way from the maturation warehouses to distillery assistant manager at Pulteney before leaving to be distillery manager at Knocdhu Distillery in 2000. I was quite pleased to return home to Pulteney in 2006 as distillery manager.

John Black (now at Tulliberdine) actually retires from the industry in May of this year and I owe him many grateful thanks. John’s been in the industry all of his working life and he’s a bit like me, started grassroots and worked his way up, and I’ll always appreciate his role in getting me my start in whisky.

Question #7
ABG: What's your favorite dram, beside Old Pulteney, of course?

Van Ness: Besides Old Pulteney my favorite dram would really have to be anCnoc. The distillery at Knockdu has been a big part of my life and my career, so it has to be anCnoc. The 12 year old is a great dram, and I was there when we launched the 14 year old unchilled filtered expression, so If I haven’t got a bottle of Old Pulteney in the cupboard, which is very, very rare, I would go for anCnoc.