In 1821, William Smith founded the Wolfburn distillery on the outskirts of Thurso, named after a nearby watercourse. The distillery, built from sturdy Caithness stone slabs, quickly developed into a major malt whisky producer. The distillery remained in family ownership until the 1850s and may have operated sporadically until the 1860s, although it was recorded as a ruin on a map in 1872. A new building was erected near the old site.

The distillery's logo, designed in 2011, is based on a 16th century drawing by Conrad Gessner and refers to the sea wolf, a local legend said to bring good luck. The logo symbolises the distillery's deep connection to Scottish culture and history.

Half of the Small Batch No. 458 bottling matures in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks and the other half in first fill bourbon casks. The result is a whisky with exceptional depth of flavour, intense colour and a warm and lively character. This limited edition is limited to 5,100 bottles worldwide.