Penderyn, Tawny Port Pipe, Single Cask, Single Malt Whisky, Wales (60.5%)
About this SPIRIT
Penderyn Distilery
Nestled on the western edge of the Brecon Beacons, Penderyn Distillery lies at the heart of the Welsh whisky industry. This is a relatively youthful operation in whisky terms – in production since 2001 – but it is clear that there is a long future ahead of it.
With a borehole on site, the all-female distilling and blending team here use the pure water of the Brecons to produce their range of whiskies. Moreover, they are unique in their use of two Faraday stills – as opposed to the more traditional pot still. They also have a higher cut point than many other distillers. Both factors contribute to Penderyn’s light and floral signature style.
Penderyn’s core range has a variety of finishes. The house style is Madeira; Rich Oak, Peated, Port and Sherry wood finishes complete the set. The single-cask limited-edition bottlings are Penderyn’s secret weapon, specially chosen by the team.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
Luscious stone-fruit on the nose shows the effects of ageing in an old Tawny Port cask. The palate has orange peel – both fresh and candied – mingling with dried cherries and some nicely spicy oak. A drop or two of water allows more complexity to show, perhaps, revealing red liquorice laces, bara brith and sweet sandalwood. The finish is as rich and resonant as a Baritone broadside from a Welsh male voice choir. Bread of heaven, indeed.
Rob Whitehead, Spirits Buyer (October 2020)
spirit at a glance
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