Wick distillery calls halt on whisky orders
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MAKERS of the whisky which was recently named as the best on the planet are struggling to cope with demand due to the tipple’s growing popularity.
So many people have raised a glass to the Old Pulteney 21-year-old’s success that the company has stopped taking orders for the world-class product.
The malt received the title of world whisky of the year in Jim Murray’s 2012 Whisky Bible awards in October, when it came out on top against a class of some 1500 whiskies from across the globe.
The selling power of the title proved its power, and the Wick distillery has experienced unprecedented demand for its version of the national drink.
Such have been sales in the UK and abroad that the company has now stopped taking orders via its website.
Distillery manager Malcolm Waring told the Caithness Courier that the Christmas period is always one of the busiest times of the year. But he said that since being awarded the title, demand for the malt has risen on an unprecedented scale.
“After being awarded the title of world whisky of the year, the impact was almost instantaneous,” he said.
“The day after we heard that we were named the best in the world, we were inundated with orders from around the globe.
“As a result, we have been struggling to cope with demand and have presently suspended orders for the 21-year-old malt.”
The title has also had a significant impact on the company’s other products, with demand also soaring for Old Pulteney 12-year-old and 17-year-old malts.
World?renowned whisky connoisseur Jim Murray nosed and tasted his way through all types of whisky to create his global ratings guide.
He gave Old Pulteney 21-year-old 97.5 points out of 100, which was the highest scored ever achieved in the book’s history.
His glowing review commented that the single malt was by far and away one of the best whiskies of 2012, saying that it exploded from the glass with vitality, charisma and class.
The distillery hopes that it will be in a position to start taking orders for the 21-year-old again soon, with Mr Waring saying that the award has significantly increased the whisky’s presence in the global market.
“The company has certainly been given a massive boost since receiving the award, with sales on all our whiskies increasing from previous years.
“I’ve just returned from a business trip to North America where I was visiting customers in Canada and the USA.
“I found out that outlets which stocked the malt had completely sold out due to the title. Distributors and liquor stores owners said as soon as the news went out, the demand for the product became extremely high.
“It has been a fantastic few months for the distillery and one of the best year’s we’ve ever had.”
The distillery, which is operated by Inver House Distillers, has been based at its premises at Huddart Street since 1826 and is the most northern mainland distillery in the UK.
