Whisky Review Round Up: Penderyn Welsh Whiskies (Gold Range)

The flavors are unsurprisingly dominated by fruit but in a more dessert minded way. Strawberries, honeydew, biscuits and clotted cream mingle with a kind of acerbic smoke character. A little saline character would be nice to finesse out a bit more fruit through the slightly punishing smoke character. The body is a bit thin and there’s not much length to it. All said and done, I was mostly left with a kind of bitter, metallic taste, which is not where I expected it to go. This did improve with a few drops of water, but it didn’t fully remedy it. I wouldn’t describe it as acrid but I didn’t find it particularly enjoyable. Final Thoughts: This is a very fruit forward whiskey that I’m not sure benefits from the peating nor the cask treatment. It’s almost reminiscent of Tobala mezcales in its combination of very ripe tropical fruit, saline and smoke. It’s fine in small doses but a little aggressive for my tastes in whiskey. If you’re a fan of rhum agricoles and mezcales it’s worth noting that this is one of the closest analogues I’ve found in whiskey (though I enjoy most of those far more than I enjoyed this). Score: 3/5 Tasting Notes: Penderyn Rich Oak Single Malt Vital Stats: 92 proof, malted barley, non-age statement, bourbon barrels and “rejuvenated” European wine casks for aging, $75 Appearance: The color of golden cane syrup, a bit viscous, and quite leggy. Nose: A familiar fruit profile jumps out once again, with melon gummies, pineapple juice and green apple rushing to the front. There are viognier grapes and there’s a little touch saline as well. It’s a bit hot up front, but with a few drops of water it opens up and milds the heat quite a bit. Very pleasant aromatics. Palate: Honeydew, graham cracker and green apple skin are the primary flavours, with some mallowfoam and a bit of green grains and rye spice on the back end. It’s considerably more full and round than the Peated expression, with a soft body and a respectable medium length finish. There’s a bit of alcohol burn and some slightly dusty wood tannins but overall a vast improvement from the Peated expression. Layers of delicate fruits, marzipan and lightly sweet breads with some baking spices for character make this enjoyable through the last. Final Thoughts: The Rich Oak Single Malt is a delightful dram. The interplay between aromatic fruits, sweetness and oak tannins is very well done. It comes across as very ‘traditional’ (read: balanced) in its flavor profile, despite the relatively experimental cask regimine. This expression originated as a series of smaller releases focusing on different wine casks finishes, and I’m now very intrigued to try those. The 92 proof of this release is lower than the previous expressions and I’d love to try a cask strength version! Score: 4/5 Tasting Notes: Penderyn Portwood Single Malt Vital Stats: 96 proof, malted barley, non-age statement, bourbon and port casks for aging, $85 Appearance: Notably cloudy and oily, it’s the colour of dusty rose gold and less leggy than the others. Nose: The Portwood finish makes itself known immediately and pleasingly, presenting with stewed plums, PX sherry, sun-dried wine grapes and some beguiling, frankincense-esque aromas. There’s little to no ethanol heat to speak of. A very pleasant olfactory experience that kept me coming back. Palate: While not as rich and mysterious as the nose had me anticipating, it’s certainly not uninteresting. Bakers chocolate and Vin Santo stand out as the prominent flavours, with some dusty, cinchona bark like spice cabinet and Welch’s grape jelly in the background. The body seems a bit lighter than I would have anticipated as well, with a pleasing though short lived finish leaving the flavors of red berries behind. It’s not particularly tannic nor hot, though the wood grain does provide a bit of structure for the dark fruits. Final Thoughts: This is a very intriguing whiskey. The nose is fantastic, if just for the mystery I found in it. The normal Portwood finish flavours are certainly there, but there is much more going on as well. While not bad, by any means, I did find it a bit disappointing to sip. The body just wasn’t quite there to support those deep, brooding fruit and spice notes. While definitely a pleasant experience, the nose certainly set expectations a bit high for what the body could actually deliver. Score: 3.5/5