Located in the village of Penderyn in South Wales, just inside the Brecon Beacons National Park, Penderyn's spirit first flowed in 2000, 106 years after the last Welsh Distillery closed. With help from their Master Blender, the late Dr. Jim Swan, they launched its first whisky on St. David's day in 2004.
Penderyn started by distilling 'beer' from a local brewery S.A. Bains & Co. but since 2013 have mashed and fermented their own malted barley. They started with a unique Faraday and Column Still pair, added a second pair in 2014 and now also use a set of traditional Wash and Spirit Pot Stills.
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| Photo: Penderyn website |
The Faraday Still works by allowing the alcohol vapours to rise into a copper column (primary) above the still where they hit the first of six perforated copper plates, condense and fall back into the still. The heated vapour eventually finding its way through all the plates and into a second Column Still with eighteen perforated copper plates.
The chambers between the copper plates help to separate and purify the spirit. The new make spirit is drawn off the seventh plate of the Column Still into a unique glass spirit safe at around 92% ABV - a high in the industry. By comparison their newer pot stills, introduced in 2014, produce a new make spirit of around 72% ABV, similar to most other distilleries. Penderyn claim this "removes many of the undesirable chemical compounds – something that a conventional pot still system cannot achieve".
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| Photo: Penderyn website |
The spirit is then laid down in charred oak ex-bourbon barrels for around three years before being finished in Madera wine casks. More recently they've also started using Port, Sherry and Scottish ex-peated quarter casks.
Let's see how their whiskies taste:
Madeira, a 46% NAS
Distillery notes: This whisky is the original Penderyn ‘house style’, aged in ex-bourbon barrels and finished in ex-Madeira wine casks to bring out its full gold character.
Tasting Notes: Nose: A classic freshness with aromas of cream toffee, rich fruit and raisins. Palate: Crisp and finely rounded, with the sweetness to balance an appetising dryness. Finish: Notes of tropical fruit, raisins and vanilla persist. Balance: Oaky vanilla tones/dry sweetness.
My thoughts:
Appearance: As the label says : Aur Cymru in the glass! Swirls leave a thin line which beads up immediately and falls as slow thick legs.
Nose: Tropical fruit, brown sugar and a hint of pear drops are first out of the glass. The brown sugar turns into fudge and tropical fruit into dried pineapple and mango. A little hint of icing sugar dryness too.
Palate: Fresh fruity arrival, very smooth. Tinned fruit cocktail and dried pineapple. There's a little zing of citrus peel and a lovely bite of peppery spice. A few more sips offer some vanilla notes. The fruit shows itself as pears and peaches - sweet but dry.
Finish: Long, drying and nicely spicy.
Overall: This is Penderyn's 'standard' whisky and to be honest it's very good - I'd not tried it for a couple of years but bought a bottle to compare with the samples Dom had sent me. I'll be enjoying the rest of it!
Myth, a 41% NAS
Distillery notes: Myth is a single malt whisky finished in a range of specially selected ex-bourbon and rejuvenated oak casks. (Without Penderyn's normal Madeira cask finish)
Tasting Notes: Nose: Fresh and lively, Myth has mixed citrus fruits mingling with apple, pear drops and the merest hint of tropical fruits. Palate: Sweetness dominates then moves over to allow some refreshing bitterness to emerge while the mixed fruits continue to dominate the flavour. Finish: Gradually all the flavours ebb away to leave memories of a lively and light style of whisky that is easy to drink.
My thoughts:
Appearance: Pale gold in the glass, swirls fall as slow thick legs.
Nose: Wow - loads more on the nose than the Madeira - most of the same tropical fruit and sugar notes but with a citrus twang thrown in for good measure. Stewed apples and pears develop over time but doesn't have the dry note of the Madeira.
Palate: Watery arrival but full of orchard fruit notes, brown sugar sweetness and again a nice bite of spice. There's a little hint of citrus and a dryness of the tongue - something I'd expect of a dram much stronger than this 41%
Finish: Short and spicy with stewed apple and pear notes.
Overall: This is Penderyn's starter bottle, a young ex-bourbon, a basic whisky you might say and a really unusual ABV - I've never seen anything else at 41%. An amazing nose let down a little by the watery arrival but the palate is lovely and fruity - well worth a try!
Sherrywood, a 46% NAS
Distillery notes: The Penderyn Sherrywood in this bottle has been aged in ex-bourbon barrels and ex-Oloroso sherry casks to bring out its rich fruity flavour.
Tasting Notes: Nose: aromas of dark fruit and rich toffee mingle with green apples and hazelnuts to create a deeper mystery. Palate: rich sweetness gives way to refreshing dryness. Finish: sweet notes of toffee and sultana persist in the long finish. Balance: Sherry and oak/winter spices.
My thoughts:
Appearance: Gold in the glass, doesn't look like the Oloroso cask has had much impact on the colour, swirls again fall as slow thick legs.
Nose: The cask may not have affected the colour but it has the nose - typical sherry strawberry jam notes and hints of dunnage warehouse. There's a little vanilla, dried fruit and nuts.
Palate: Sweet red fruit notes and instant dryness. Fleeting hints of strawberries, raspberries and sweet cherries. Some dried fruit and marzipan, it's not a sherry bomb by any means but nice enough.
Finish: Short dry finish with raisins and vanilla.
Overall: A can't help thinking that a little more time in the sherry cask to bring on the colour and flavours a little. Upping the ABV to cask strength would be amazing, the 46% just doesn't quite do it for me.
Rich Oak, a 50% NAS
Distillery notes: A small batch bottling combining three of our finest rich oak casks. It is a robust yet remarkably smooth whisky
Tasting Notes: Nose: green apple, banana and tropical fruits have to share the limelight with crème brûlée and apparent fortified wine. Palate: intensely sweet to begin, then rich fruity and vanilla flavours emerge. This is a big, robust yet remarkably smooth whisky (try adding just a drop or two of water into its 50% strength). Finish: a melange of flavours gradually fades with a creamy, vanilla-like aftertaste.
My thoughts:
Appearance: Darkest of the 5 drams, and the highest ABV allowing the swirls the cling to the glass, slowly bead up and eventually falling as slow thin legs.
Nose: Vanilla dominates but there are orchard fruit and berry hints - for me the Penderyn distillery character. A little time in the glass offers blackberries, dates and prunes - normally sherry notes but this is ex-bourbon - interesting!
Palate: This is more like it - thick and sweet, loads of orchard and berry fruit and a little kick of spice. The first sips leaves a warmth in the mouth begging for more! Sweet syrup covered pears cored with dried fruit covered in a vanilla custard. No water required, 50% is spot on. Yummy!
Finish: Long, dry and sweet. Vanilla and orchard fruit linger - yummy!
Overall: The best of the 5 I tried in this tasting - loads of Penderyn distillery character but at 50% it's just turned up a notch. Interestingly this is purely ex-bourbon so none of the 'normal' Madeira wine finish but there are hints of it - did Jim Swan create something in the new make spirit which shines through which ever cask you put it in? I think so!
Peated, a 46% NAS
Distillery notes: This whisky has a delicate spirit with a medium peaty character and a light golden tone. (Finished in Scottish ex-peated quarter casks).
Tasting Notes: Nose: It introduces itself with sweet, aromatic smoke. Under this, there are signature notes of vanilla, green apple and refreshing citrus. Palate: An array of gentle flavours tempts even the most sophisticated palate Finish: Smoke and vanilla linger on the attractive medium-length finish. Balance: Light smoke/citrus fruitiness
My thoughts:
Appearance: Pale white wine in the glass, like the Rich Oak, swirls cling, slowly form beads then fall as slow thin legs.
Nose: Surprising similar to the Madeira : loads of tropical fruit, brown sugar and pear drops. A little lemon zing and a tiny hint of smoke. A little time in the glass gives peaches and barley. Still not much in the way of smoke..... This one was left in the glass the longest, so about 20 minutes in and the smoke decides to show it's face - no idea why I could smell it before but it is here!
Palate: Smooth vanilla ice cream arrival, a little peat smoke and a peppery spice. A few more sips offer orchard fruit and icing sugar but the smoke is always there. icing sugar again offers a dryness.
Finish: Medium length orchard fruit and smoke - it's not medicinal, it's not overly powerful but it is there and it's nice. The smoke comes from ex-Islay casks rather than peated barley but it rounds off a nice dram.
Overall: Give it twenty minutes in the glass before you start nosing it - the smoke then comes through. Lovely palate showcasing the Penderyn orchard fruit notes and a lingering smoky/spicy finish - Nice.
Summary
In summary a varied set of drams, the Madeira is obviously the benchmark - showcasing the distillery characteristics and I'll enjoy finishing the bottle I have. The Myth simplifies it well, no Madeira so no drying icing sugar notes that I got from the rest of them, it did add a nice citrus zing though. The Peated was a surprise, definitely needed a little time in the glass to release the smoke notes but worth the wait, a nice introduction to peated whisky for a newbie. The Sherrywood needs a bit more time and / or ABV - it just didn't hit the spot for me. The Rich Oak was the best of the five, interestingly sharing some of the Madeira notes without being matured in a Madeira cask. The 50% ABV was spot on delivering a tasty dram which for me shows just how good the Penderyn spirit is!Many thanks to @DomsWhisky for the last 4 samples!
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