Penderyn celebrate St. David's Day

The 1st of March was St. David's Day - the national day of Wales on which everyone pays homage to St. David, the country's patron saint. On this day, Welsh people around the world celebrate their national identity by embracing anything Welsh, be it a stereotype (think daffodils, leeks or Tom Jones) or otherwise. Since its creation in 2000, Penderyn - the first Welsh single malt whisky to be made for over a century - has been added to the list of things to aid the celebrations. The distillery is located in the Brecon Beacons National Park and its whisky has created a strong and patriotic Welsh following. However, it has been catching the attention of the wider whisky drinking audience in the last three or four years.

Numerous Penderyn (pronounced pen-derrin) whisky tastings and events formed part of the national celebrations around the country and earlier this week, we had the pleasure of attending one such St. David's Day evening hosted by Penderyn. They took over the Waxy O'Connor's bar in central London and painted the capital's biggest Irish pub Welsh for the night (pictured, left)! The event allowed us to reacquaint ourselves with the Penderyn Madeira finish, which is the core bottling of their range. We had not tried this for a while and thought that it tasted very good on the night. We have written about it before, but felt that after this we should update our tasting notes.

Our tasting notes > Penderyn Madeira finish
The colour is yellow gold and almost straw-like with a fragrant and interesting nose. It is light and vibrant with some vanilla, honey, fresh green fruits (think of apples and pears) and plenty of sugary dried fruits (imagine a combination of brown sugar and sultanas). There is also a hint of bittersweet cereals and something herbal (think of dried grass/hay). On the palate, this feels creamy and velvety - it has an initial bitter oaky woodiness (with a hint of a woody spice like cinnamon) that quickly fades to sugary caramel, malted barley and almond notes. Then the vanilla and green fruit elements from the nose come through. The combination of flavours and the balance is lovely. The finish is reasonably long and refreshing, with the enjoyable sugary sweetness giving way to a nutty, slightly spicy and woody bitterness right at the end. Delicious and very moreish.

What's the verdict?
The Penderyn Madeira finish is a lovely and easy drinking whisky that really seems to be coming of age. It feels richer, sweeter and more rounded and balanced than we remembered. That is not saying that it was bad before, just that it seems to be benefiting from maybe more time spent maturing or maybe longer in the Madeira casks. It offers an enjoyable and refreshing dram and would be a great choice for a whisky beginner. The increased complexity should also hold the interest of the more advanced whisky drinker or connoisseur. A good bargain for around £30 a bottle too.

News > Penderyn launch Welsh Whisky Wednesdays

We are delighted to announce that Penderyn, the only Welsh single malt whisky, are today launching a new initiative - Welsh Whisky Wednesday. The aim of this new initiative is to raise awareness of Penderyn whisky and get more people to sample it, especially those who may not previously tried it or considered trying it. Each wednesday the Welsh distillery will be placing sampling bottles of Penderyn behind some of London's best bars and these venues will change each week. The venues will be announced each wednesday morning and the first two venues are the iconic whisky bar Albannach on Trafalgar Square and the Mint Leaf Lounge in The City.

So, how does it work? Firstly, you have to be over 18 years of age but otherwise it sounds easy! The sample of Penderyn is free to every consumer who comes to one of the venues between 5-7pm and mentions 'Welsh Whisky Wednesday' to the bar staff. They will then give you a complimentary dram of Aur Cymru ('Welsh Gold' in English) Penderyn whisky. This is limited to one dram per person. You don't need to book ahead, pay or buy anything else, join or sign up for a club - just turn up and ask for your free Penderyn dram!

As mentioned, Penderyn will be announcing the new promotional venues for Welsh Whisky Wednesday each wednesday morning. You can find these out via Penderyn's Facebook page or @PenderynWhisky on Twitter. For further information on the Penderyn distillery, go to their website www.welsh-whisky.co.uk or check out our distillery visit review and notes. Enjoy!

New releases ... Penderyn Port Wood PT26

Penderyn (pronounced Pen-derrin) is the only single malt whisky distillery in Wales. The distillery is located in the village of the same name in the Brecon Beacons National Park in south Wales and is owned by the Welsh Whisky Company. This was formed in 1998, with production beginning in September 2000 - this makes it one of the youngest distilleries in the UK. Penderyn translates as 'head of the kite' from the Welsh language (that's kite as in the type of bird and the Brecons is home to one of the largest populations of them in the UK). Penderyn is the first distillery to produce single malt whisky in Wales for over 100 years with the last one closing in 1900. That was named Frongoch and was located in the town of Bala in north Wales.

Unique production methods
The production at Penderyn is unique and innovative. They buy pre-fermented wash from the local Brain's brewery in Cardiff and this is made to their specific recipe. They then distil this in to whisky. This is method is different to that of the Scottish whisky industry where at least some of the mashing and fermentation must happen on the same site as the distillation. The water used in production at Penderyn is taken from a well next to the distillery. The still room is also unique and houses a bespoke still designed by Dr. David Faraday, that is part copper pot and part column still. For further information on the unique methods used, then read the article about our visit to Penderyn.

A limited edition
Their range is small and consists of a regular bottling which is finished in Madeira casks, a sherry cask bottling and a lightly peated version. Limited expressions are also available, with other releases being planned as more stock reaches optimum maturation. This Port Wood was released in July 2010 and comes from a cask (Port cask number 26, hence the PT26) that was specially selected by Dr. Jim Swan, Penderyn's Master Distiller. It was limited to just 216 bottles at £275 each and bottlied at the natural cask strength of 60.6% ABV. Its predecessor, which was released in 2009, won the accolade of European Single Cask Whisky of the Year in Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2010. We thank Luke O'Mahony at Penderyn for the chance to sample this whisky.

Our tasting notes
The colour of PT26 is dark amber with a dark reddish hue (dark is the key word here!). The nose is rich, sumptuous and has plenty of sugary sweetness (think of caramel or treacle), dried fruits (imagine raisins, candied orange peel, dates and prunes) and a hint of dark, bitter chocolate and coffee. On the palate, the whisky starts sweetly with the caramel and treacle notes prominent. These are backed up by other sweet elements - dried fruits (especially the dates and prunes), vanilla, cereal grains and a dollop of orange marmalade. It then becomes woody and slightly bitter very quickly, with plenty of wood spice (think of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove), dark chocolate, espresso coffee and a hint of menthol coming through. There is also a distinct hit of burnt sugar or black treacle. The finish long, dry, tannic and very spicy with burnt sugar, high cocoa chocolate, dried fruits and cinnamon standing out. Port Wood is very rich but well balanced without water, especially considering the high strength. We decided to try it with a few drops of water. This gave more caramel and buttery toffee (think of butterscotch) on the nose and palate, although it flattens the enjoyable spiciness and dryness.

What's the verdict?
This is one rich and full-on whisky, that may be too rich and full-on for some. The high alcoholic strength (60.6% ABV) combined with the Port cask has given this whisky a wonderful intensity with exaggerated aromas and flavours. Penderyn whiskies seem to be coming of age as more of their stock reaches longer maturation and it is hard to believe that they have only been making whisky for 10 years. Only you can decide if the high price tag is worth it but this lovely whisky should be tried if you get the chance, as it is one of the better Port cask whiskies that we have tried to date.

Winners - Penderyn Welsh whisky competition

We were delighted recently to announce that we had teamed up with Penderyn, the only Welsh single malt whisky distillery, to offer you the exclusive chance to win one of three 70cl bottles of their Penderyn Madeira Finish whisky on our blog.

In order to stand a chance of winning, a survey was to be completed and details left at the end. The survey was constructed between ourselves and Penderyn with the function of showing the drinking habits and thoughts of our readers, as well as the perception of Penderyn whisky. We had a higher than expected number of entries from around the world and the results were both fascinating and diverse. The three winners have now been selected at random and congratulations go to ....

Magnus Rönnerup from Sweden
Helen Protheroe from Wales
Josef Oliker from the USA

Both ourselves and the guys at Penderyn would like to give a massive thank you to everyone that took the time to complete the survey and enter the competition. The winners will receive their 70cl bottle of Penderyn Madeira Finish shortly and we hope that you enjoy them!

Regards,
Karen & Matt

Exclusive - win a bottle of Penderyn Welsh whisky!

We are delighted to announce that we have teamed up with Penderyn, the only Welsh single malt whisky distillery, to offer you the exclusive chance to win one of three 70cl bottles of their Penderyn Madeira Finish whisky on our blog.

To enter, you must complete the quick and easy survey below - please leave your name and email address in the section at the end. We will then draw three names after the closing date (Friday 2 July), email you and then send you your prize of award winning Penderyn Madeira Finish whisky.

The Whisky For Everyone/Penderyn survey is below – thank you for taking part and good luck!

CLICK HERE to begin the survey.

Penderyn distillery (pronounced pen-derrin) is located in the village of Penderyn on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park in south Wales. The distillery is one of the youngest in the UK and is owned by the Welsh Whisky Company, which is made up of a consortium of local businessmen. The WWC was formed in 1998 and production began at Penderyn in September 2000. The current annual production capacity is 700,000 litres and the distillery has a revolutionary still that was designed and built by Dr David Faraday. Penderyn is the first legal distillery to produce single malt whisky in Wales for over 100 years - the previous one was named Frongoch (pronounced fran-gok) and was located in north Wales, close to the famous Snowdonia National Park. Prince Charles is one of Penderyn's biggest fans and supporters and serves the award winning Penderyn whisky at his Highgrove House residence.

To read further information about our recent visit to the Penderyn distillery click here and to read our tasting notes for the range of Penderyn whiskies, including the Madeira Finish on offer, click here.

Terms & conditions
➢ You must be of legal age to drink alcohol in your country of residence to take part in the survey.
➢ Only one entry per email address will be accepted in to the prize draw.
➢ The closing date for the survey is 02/07/10. The three winners will be drawn and notified by email shortly after this date. At this point, each winner will be required to give a postal address for delivery.
➢ The decision is final, once the result is drawn.
➢ Each winner will receive one 70cl bottle of Penderyn Madeira Finish whisky plus fully paid postage, packing and any customs paperwork. Due to postal restrictions - one bottle will be sent within the UK, one within the rest of the EU and one to the USA (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). We welcome entries from readers in other countries but are unable to send prizes to locations other than those specified.
➢ We will ensure that your prize is packed and labelled correctly. For the winners are based outside of the UK, any further duty or customs charges, if required, will be incurred by the winner.
➢ No cash alternative will be offered as a prize.
➢ Personal information filled in during the survey shall be kept and stored for the duration of the prize draw and is for the sole purpose of the prize draw.

Have just tried ... Penderyn Port Wood

One of the UK's youngest
Today is St. David's Day - the national day of Wales - so it seems appropriate that this should be commemorated with a review of a very special whisky from the only Welsh distillery at Penderyn (pronounced Pen-derrin). The distillery is located in the village of the same name in the Brecon Beacons National Park in south Wales and is owned by the Welsh Whisky Company. This was formed in 1998, with production beginning in September 2000 - this makes it one of the youngest distilleries in the UK. Penderyn is the first distillery to produce single malt whisky in Wales for over 100 years with the last one closing in 1900. That was named Frongoch and was located in the town of Bala in north Wales.

Innovative production methods
The production at Penderyn is unique and innovative. They buy pre-fermented wash from the local Brain's brewery in Cardiff and this is made to their specific recipe. They then distill this in to whisky. This is method is different to that of the Scottish whisky industry where at least some of the mashing and fermentation must happen on the same site as the distillation. The water used in production at Penderyn is taken from a well next to the distillery. The still room is also unique and houses a bespoke still designed by Dr. David Faraday, that is part copper pot and part column still. For further information on the unique methods used, then read the article about our visit to Penderyn.

Limited edition casking
Their range is small and consists of a regular bottling which is finished in Madeira casks, a sherry cask bottling and a lightly peated version. Limited expressions are also available, with other releases being planned as more stock reaches optimum maturation. This Port Wood was released in August 2009 and comes from a cask that was specially selected by Dr. Jim Swan, the Master Distiller for Penderyn. It was limited to just 207 bottles and cost £275 each. The alcoholic ABV is the natural cask strength of 60.6% and the whisky recently won the accolade of European Single Cask Whisky of the Year in The Whisky Bible 2010 by whisky writer Jim Murray. We were lucky enough to try it on our recent visit to the distillery.

Our tasting notes
The colour of Penderyn Port Wood is dark amber but with a distinct red hue, and it is certainly one of the darkest whiskies that we have encountered to date. The nose is rich and sumptuous with plenty of sugary sweetness (think of caramel or treacle), dried fruits (imagine raisins, candied peel and prunes), oranges and a hint of something dark/bitter like chocolate and coffee. On the palate, this whisky starts sweetly with the caramel/treacle note prominent and this is backed up by other sweet elements - dried fruits (especially those prunes), vanilla, cereal grains and a drop of orange marmalade. It then becomes woody and slightly bitter with some menthol, wood spice (think of cinnamon), dark chocolate and espresso coffee coming through. The finish long, dry and spicy with chocolate, dried fruits, vanilla and cinnamon standing out. Port Wood is very well balanced without water, especially considering the strength, but we decided to try it with a few drops of water. This gave more caramel and buttery toffee on the nose and palate and slightly flattened the enjoyable spiciness.

What's the verdict?
This is a rich and sumptuous whisky and may be too rich and heavy for some people. We really enjoyed it and think it is a lovely dram that feels like a treat to yourself. Port Wood is the most limited and expensive Penderyn whisky yet and only you can decide if it is worth the money! They told us that they still have a couple of bottles left, so hurry if you wish to purchase one ...

Have just tried ... Penderyn Rich Madeira (WRU 125th Anniversary Edition)

A commemorative bottling
The Six Nations rugby tournament started last weekend, so it seems like a good time to review this rugby related whisky that we sampled recently. The Six Nations is an annual tournament that involves England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. We are not the biggest fans of rugby but we are fans of whisky and this one is from Penderyn, the only Welsh whisky distillery. It was first released two years ago to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) and was limited to just 1250 bottles.

First Welsh whisky for 100 years
Penderyn (pronounced Pen-derrin) is the only single malt whisky distillery currently operating in Wales. It is located in the village of the same name, on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park in south Wales. The distillery is one of the youngest in the UK and is owned by the Welsh Whisky Company, which set up by a consortium of local businessmen. The WWC was formed in 1998 and production began at Penderyn in September 2000. Penderyn is the first legal distillery to produce single malt whisky in Wales for over 100 years. The previous one was named Frongoch (pronounced fran-gok) and closed in 1900. It was located in the town of Bala in north Wales.

Older, longer, higher!
The whisky is labeled as Rich Madeira and is firstly matured in ex-bourbon casks, before being transferred to Madeira casks for one year. The regular Penderyn release undergoes the same order of maturation but this Rich Madeira is older, has a longer Madeira influence and is higher in alcoholic strength than the regular release. The whisky is bottled at 50% ABV, costs £125 a bottle and can only be purchased directly from the Penderyn website. On our recent visit to Penderyn, they told us that they still have a few bottles of this commemorative bottling left, so hurry if you fancy a bottle!

Our tasting notes
The colour of the whisky is dark golden amber and the nose is fragrant and aromatic. It has a rich, sumptuous feel and is sweet with sugary caramel prominent, along with dried fruits (think of raisins, sultanas and apple), some candied orange peel and a whiff of woody spices (imagine cinnamon and nutmeg). On the palate, the sweetness and richness is again prominent, although this feels less like caramel and a little more like crumby brown sugar now. The dried fruits are there - raisins and sultanas, with the candied orange peel particularly distinctive. There is a further lovely green fruitiness and this combines with the sugary note to give something reminiscent of stewed apples. The cinnamon/nutmeg warm spice notes emphasise this. Due to the strength, we added a dash of water and this bought out some woodiness (think of damp wood) and a slightly bitter grassy herbal note, which balanced the sweetness well. The finish is long, warming and enjoyable with the sugary fruitiness fading slowly.

What's the verdict?
This is a lovely whisky. We were lucky enough to sample five whiskies during our visit to Penderyn and both of us voted this one as our favourite. It offers good balance and character and has plenty of sumptuous notes. The whisky feels velvety and soft and gives you a lovely big, warm cwtch (that's the word for cuddle in Welsh and it's pronounced kutch - thanks to Sian at Penderyn for that little piece of info!).

Have just tried ... Penderyn Peated

A long wait for new Welsh whisky
Penderyn (pronounced Pen-derrin) is the only single malt whisky distillery currently operating in Wales. It is located in the village of Penderyn in the Brecon Beacons National Park in south Wales. It is owned by the Welsh Whisky Company, which was formed in 1998 and production began in September 2000, making it one of the youngest distilleries in the UK. Penderyn is the first distillery to produce single malt whisky in Wales for over 100 years with the last one, Frongoch in north Wales, closing in 1900. Prince Charles, the current Prince of Wales, is a big fan and serves Penderyn single malt whisky at his Highgrove House residence.

Innovative production methods
The production at Penderyn is unique and innovative. They buy pre-fermented wash from the local Brain's brewery and this is made to their specific recipe. They then distill this in to whisky. This is method is illegal in the Scottish whisky industry where at least some of the mashing and fermentation must happen on the same site as the distillation. The water used in production at Penderyn is taken from a well next to the distillery. The still room is also unique and houses a bespoke still designed by Dr. David Faraday, that is part copper pot and part column still. For further information on the unique methods used, then read the article about our visit to Penderyn.

Peaty but with a difference
Their range is small and consists of a regular bottling which is finished in Madeira casks, a sherry cask bottling and this lightly peated version. Limited expressions are also available, with other releases being planned as more stock reaches optimum maturation. This peaty expression of Penderyn (the bottle in the green packaging on the left of the image above) is limited to approximately 5000 bottles a year and is bottled at 46% ABV. Interestingly, Penderyn do not use peated malt to create the peaty, smoky flavour as is traditionally practiced in Scotland and elsewhere. Instead, they produce their regular spirit and then mature it in casks that have previously held smoky whisky from the island of Islay. Therefore, the smokiness and other flavours from these ex-Islay casks are imparted to the spirit in the same way that the characteristics are imparted from regular casks such as ex-bourbon or ex-sherry. A bottle should cost £35-40 from specialist whisky retailers or Penderyn directly.

Our tasting notes
The colour of this Penderyn Peated is light and straw-like and is the lightest of all the Penderyn's that we have sampled to date. The nose is very light and slightly understated. There is vanilla up front and a distinct orchard fruit note (think of green pears and apples). These are joined by something grassy and herbal (imagine dried grasses or hay), a hint of citrus (think of lemon zest) and gentle, subtle, bonfire-like peat smoke. On the palate, this is basic but reasonable. A pleasant floral note (we couldn't quite place what it was to be honest) and the fresh green fruit from the nose kick things off, before the peatiness joins in and grows (this feels a little more earthy now). The citrus and vanilla are understated but present, as is the grassy/herbal note from the nose which suggested mint or eucalyptus to us. The finish is short, fresh and quite peppery (think of white pepper), with the peat appearing and then disappearing almost before you realise.

What's the verdict?
This is a tricky one. Penderyn Peated is one of the most uncomplicated, lightest, freshest smoky whiskies that we have tried to date and it has a number of pleasant features. The peatiness/smokiness is very subtle and understated - this would make it an ideal whisky to use to introduce people to the tastes of a smoky whisky without scaring them off for life. However, fans of big, peaty whiskies may struggle with it. We enjoyed Penderyn Peated but the subtle nature of the peat leaves it seemingly trying to decide if it's a true smoky whisky or not.

Distillery visit - Penderyn

Penderyn (pronounced Pen-derrin) is the only single malt whisky distillery currently operating in Wales. It is located in the village of Penderyn in the Brecon Beacons National Park in south Wales. The distillery is one of the youngest in the UK and is owned by the Welsh Whisky Company, which is made up of a consortium of local businessmen. The WWC was formed in 1998 and production began at Penderyn in September 2000. They adopted the name of the village - it translates as 'head of the kite' from the Welsh language (that's kite as in the type of bird and the Brecons is home to one of the largest populations of them in the UK).

Penderyn is the first legal distillery to produce single malt whisky in Wales for over 100 years. The previous one was named Frongoch (pronounced fran-gok) and this was located in the town of Bala in north Wales, close to the famous Snowdonia National Park. The distillery had a short life - the first spirit flowed in 1889 and it was closed in 1900, with the company being wound up in the High Court in 1903. They rather cheekily named their whisky 'Royal Welsh Whisky' (as shown on one of their posters, left), despite never being issued a Royal Warrant. Prince Charles, the current Prince of Wales, is one of the Penderyn's biggest supporters and serves Penderyn whisky at his Highgrove House residence.

Our tour of Penderyn is taken by Sian Whitelock, the Commercial Director at the Welsh Whisky Company. It begins in the impressive visitor centre (actually, it began at Aberdare train station where Sian met us!). The visitor centre and the distillery are all housed under the same roof. The building looks impressive from the outside - it is black and has the increasingly recognisable Penderyn gold flash adorning it (see top image, above). We learn that this flash represents a seam of rare Welsh gold that can still be found in the local area and that the words Aur Cymru and AC initials that are on Penderyn labels, means 'Welsh gold' in Welsh.

The tour begins with an exhibition about Penderyn and its place within the local, Welsh and whisky communities. It feels fresh and light and gives plenty of information on wall and free standing boards and also a short film. The exhibition explains how the geology of the local area and the quality of their water source helped pick the distillery's location (it has a bore hole located next it). There is also a collection of interesting artifacts relating to the old Frongoch distillery, including one of the few bottles left in existence. However, our favourite part was a historical time line that stretched along one side of the room that incorporated significant dates in Welsh, world and whisky history. This helps greatly in putting Penderyn in to context within these three categories.

Next, Sian takes us through to the still room viewing area. Here, we get to see the unique set up that Penderyn have. Firstly, the production process is different. They use a pre-made fermented wash that is made to Penderyn's specifications at the Cardiff based Brain's brewery. In the Scottish whisky industry, the mashing and fermentation processes must happen on the same site as the distillation. We had a sniff of this pre-made wash and it was like a sweet ale, without the hops.

The still room is viewed through glass on the regular tour, but we were fortunate enough to be taken in to have a more detailed look through the tiny still room. This unique copper still was specially designed by Dr David Faraday, who is descended from Sir Michael Faraday (a pioneering scientist who studied electricity and magnetism and invented such things as the electric motor and the dynamo). The still has three main sections that are linked. A copper pot still (seen in the image, left) has a pipe leading from the top to another column-still-like structure and the final spirit is collected in a huge glass bulb still safe. The production is a batch process, with each batch taking roughly 10 hours and producing just a single cask of spirit.

The still produces very little waste product as for each charge or batch, it runs on a continuous process. The fermented Brain's wash is heated and the evaporated alcohol vapour rises up the neck before passing along the pipe to go through the column-still-like section. Here, the vapours
begin to re-condense and in a similar way to a column still the vapours can be collected as the desired spirit given that they re-condense at the desired point at which they are removed then piped in the huge glass bulb still safe. The spirits that are not collected are returned to the original copper pot part of the still via another pipe. They then pass through the process again and again until just 1% of the original 2500 litres put into the still is remaining. It is a fascinating set up and one that is truly unique, from transporting the wash in to the still design but also that this entire operation is manual.

The spirit that is collected is higher in alcoholic strength (known as the ABV) than the Scottish distilleries casking strength. Penderyn's new make spirit is roughly 80% ABV when it is put into the cask, whereas the average figure is around 65% in Scotland. A higher ABV will mean that the spirit will draw more from the wood in the cask and therefore mature at a quicker rate. We tried some of the new make spirit and despite its strength, it was extremely fresh, vibrant and fruity (think of green juicy fruits like pears and apples) with a spicy chili-like nature to it. The casks are not stored on the compact site of the distillery/visitor centre but in a warehouse a few miles away.

Penderyn use ex-bourbon casks for the majority of their whisky's maturation. These are sourced from the Buffalo Trace distillery in Kentucky, USA. The core range of Penderyn consists of three single malts - the regular release is then part matured in Madeira casks and there are two further, more limited bottlings. The Sherrywood is part matured in sherry casks and the Peated is part matured in ex-Islay smoky whisky casks (this is where it gets its peatiness, rather than using peated malt in the more traditional way). The whiskies are closely monitored and selected at their optimum age by Master Distiller Dr Jim Swan and on-site distiller Gillian MacDonald.

Penderyn is also one of the few distilleries that do their own bottling. This is again viewed through a large glass window but we were allowed in to observe from a safe area. They bottle all of their products, including the Brecon gin and Five vodka that they also produce at the distillery. Before bottling, the whisky is brought down to 46% ABV using water from the local bore hole. The tour then concludes with a tasting in the sampling area (we were the first people to try out their new stylish chairs here!). On the regular tour, you are treated to two drams but we got the 'special' treatment! Sian and ourselves were joined by distiller Gillian MacDonald and Visitor Centre Manager Keith Tench, who sampled and explained everything from their current range.

Tasting notes
Penderyn Madeira - this is the cornerstone of the Penderyn range. The colour is straw-like with an interesting fragrant nose - vanilla, fresh fruits (apples/pears) and something herbal (dried grasses). On the palate, this remains light with sugary caramel, dried fruits and malted cereal notes present. The vanilla, fresh fruit and herbal elements from the nose come through also. The finish is reasonably long for something a light whisky and is refreshing, with an enjoyable sugary sweetness and woodiness. For our full review - click here.

Penderyn Sherrywood - partly matured in sherry casks, this whisky is golden amber in colour. The nose has an interesting combination of aromas - dried fruit (sultanas/orange peel), caramel, spices (cloves) and herbal grassy note (imagine dried grasses/hay). On the palate, there is sugary sweetness (brown sugar/honey), then dried fruit (sultanas/dried apple). It is buttery and coats the inside of your mouth. The finish is again initially sweet before a grassiness kicks in and makes the finish pleasantly dry. Click here for our full review.

Penderyn Peated - this is partly matured in ex-smoky whisky casks. Therefore, the peatiness is subtle. The colour is light and straw-like and the nose is subtle and fresh (vanilla/toffee/damp earth). On the palate, there is fresh fruit (pears/apples), vanilla and something floral (maybe honeysuckle) before the earthy peat smoke comes through. The finish becomes grassy, herbal and a little dry. Our full review will follow shortly.

Penderyn Rich Madeira - a limited edition whisky that was bottled to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Welsh Rugby Union Association. It has been matured in ex-bourbon casks then one year in a Madeira cask. Released at 50% ABV, there are only 1250 bottles. It is rich amber in colour and the nose is sweet (caramel) and fruity (dried fruits/sultanas/candied orange peel). These aromas carry through to the palate, combining very well with wood spice (cinnamon/nutmeg) and herbal (dried grasses) notes. A lovely long sweet finish. Our favourite whisky of the day. Our full review will follow shortly.

Penderyn Port Wood - this is Penderyn's most expensive (£275) and smallest (207 bottles) release to date. It was released in August 2009 and bottled at 60.6% ABV. The colour is dark amber/red and the nose has individuality - plenty of caramel/treacle, candied orange peel, dried red fruits and cocoa powder. This is rich on the palate but easy drinking, despite the strength. It is silky with the notes of the nose replicated. With water, more caramel/toffee comes out. The finish is rich, fruity and dry. This reminded us of an Armagnac or Cognac. Our full review will follow shortly.

The tour of Penderyn is unlike any other that we have been on, but that is because Penderyn is unlike any other distillery that we have been to. If you go expecting to see the grain mill, mashing, fermenting and maturation as on a traditional distillery tour then you may leave disappointed. However, this offers something fresh and new with a modern, ground breaking take on the traditional techniques. We both thoroughly enjoyed our time and recommend it highly. We thank Gillian MacDonald, Sian Whitelow and Keith Tench at Penderyn (pictured from left to right, respectively), for the invite to their distillery, their hospitality and information while we were there and for letting us sample their innovative whiskies.

Information for the regular Penderyn tour
Entry - £5 per person/ Tour duration - 45 mins/ No. of drams - 2/ Further details - www.welsh-whisky.co.uk

Have just tried ... Penderyn Sherry Wood Finish

Penderyn (pronounced Pen-derrin) is the only single malt whisky distillery currently operating in Wales. Located in the village of Penderyn in the Brecon Beacons National Park in south Wales, the distillery is one of the youngest in the UK. It is owned by the Welsh Whisky Company, which was formed in 1998 and production began in September 2000. Penderyn is the first distillery to produce single malt whisky in Wales for over 100 years with the last one, Frongoch, closing in the late 19th century. Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, is one of the distillery's biggest supporters and serves Penderyn whisky at his Highgrove House residence.

The production at Penderyn is unique. They buy pre-made wash from a local brewery that is made to their specific recipe and then distil this in to whisky. This is method is illegal in the Scottish whisky industry where the mashing and fermentation must happen on the same site as the distillation, however the water used is taken from a well close to the distillery. Their range is small and consists of a regular bottling (which is around seven years old) and a lightly peated version of the same age. New expressions, including this sherry cask finished whisky, are being added regularly as more stock reaches maturation.

The colour of this Penderyn Sherry Wood Finish is golden amber and the nose has an interesting combination of aromas - there is dried fruit (think of sultanas and orange peel), caramel, something spicy (reminding us most of cloves) and herbal grassy note (imagine dried grasses or hay). The nose is very pleasant and makes you want to sit and sniff it for ages. On the palate, there is an initial sugary sweetness and this is reminiscent of crumbly brown sugar and honey. Then a distinct dried fruitiness appears (those sultanas again mixed with dried apple). It is also slightly buttery and coats the inside of your mouth, before finally the herbal grassy note comes through again. The finish is again initially sweet before the grassiness really kicks in and makes the finish quite dry. A damp woody note and a sudden sharp alcoholic burn finishes things off.

This Sherry Wood Finish is very pleasant, rounded and smooth. It is very easy to drink and would be a good beginners or introductory whisky. The sherry cask has influenced the whisky well and has added more depth and complexity to the light, fresh and grassy quality of the original Penderyn. The only slight disappointment is the very end of the finish but other than that it is very good, well balanced and enjoyable with some lovely characteristics combining together. It is available at selected whisky retailers and from the distillery shop and should cost £30-35 a bottle.

Have just tried ... Penderyn

Penderyn (pronounced Pen-derrin) is the only single malt whisky distillery operating in Wales. Located in the village of Penderyn in the Brecon Beacons National Park in south Wales, the distillery is one of the youngest in the UK. It is owned by the Welsh Whisky Company, which was formed in 1998 and production began in September 2000. Penderyn is the first distillery to produce single malt whisky in Wales for over 100 years with the last one, Frongoch, closing in the late 19th century.

The production at Penderyn is unique as they buy pre-made wash from a local brewery and then distil this in to whisky. This is illegal in the Scottish industry where the mashing and fermentation must happen on the same site as the distillation. Their range is small and consists of this regular bottling (which is around seven years old) and a lightly peated version of the same age. New expressions are being added regularly as more stock reaches maturation.

All Penderyn whisky is matured in bourbon casks and then finished in Madeira casks. There are not many distilleries that use Madeira casks, despite them being cheaper than port or sherry casks. The colour is very light and almost straw-like with an interesting nose. It is light yet fragrant with some vanilla, fresh fruits (think of apples and pears) and something herbal (imagine dried grasses). On the palate, this remains light but has an initial bitter woodiness that fades to give some sugary caramel and malted barley cereal notes. Then the vanilla, fresh fruit and herbal elements from the nose come through. The finish is reasonably long for something as light as this and is quite refreshing, although that enjoyable sugary sweetness gives way to that woody bitterness right at the end.

This Penderyn is light, enjoyable and refreshing and would be a good choice as an aperitif or on a hot day, although the herbal grassy note may not be to everyone’s taste. The bottle and packaging are tall and distinctive and should cost around £30. We tried it in Wetherspoon’s, the UK’s largest national pub chain, who have just introduced it for £2 a dram. Definitely worth a try for that price!