| Whisky | Penderyn Madeira Finish |
| Region | Wales |
| Style | Single Malt |
| ABV | 46% |
| Price | £39 |
Penderyn Madeira Finish: The New Welsh Whisky Flagship?
I’ve finally got more than a handful of reviews on this blog and in an effort to further balance out the geographical focus of the UK, it’s time for a Welsh whisky. Penderyn is a privately owned, young distillery originating from the Brecon Beacons in Wales. They have recently opened up two more distilleries in Llandudno (2021) and Swansea (2023) respectively. What makes Penderyn quite interesting in the world of whisky is that they have a large supermarket presence and are on the edge of being a household name, yet they are based in Wales and aren’t owned by Diageo. I’m sure there will be one or two people out there that would disagree with me here, but Wales isn’t known for its whisky. Yes, it’s on the British Isles, and yes it has vast amounts of home-grown barley and fresh water but it has yet to build a reputation of being a whisky heavy-hitter. I mentioned Penderyn whisky to a friend before I bought a bottle. “It’s lovely mate, give it a try” was the response. My friend likes his whisky so there’s no way I was going to pass up the opportunity. A bottle of ‘Penderyn Single Malt Welsh Whisky Madeira Finish’ made its way into my cabinet from a trip to my local Sainsburys three months ago. It was on special offer and I was curious. I opened the bottle once I got it home and poured myself a dram…
So, was this mate of yours right?
Funny you should ask that, unknown internet person. I didn’t like it. It just wasn’t for me. At least, that’s what I initially thought. I’ve had four or five more drams since that day and I have to be honest and say that it has grown on me. There’s no age statement on the bottle, and it’s bottled at 46%. The bottling strength is good enough for me. The fact it doesn’t have an age statement… the jury is out on that one. A bonus: it is non-chill filtered. There’s no mention on the label of there being no added colour, so I imagine that caramel colouring has been added. It’s presented in a lovely box, with a unique shaped bottle. Sorry to be all hipster here, but that’s a mark down for me. In the back of my mind, I know that £5 or £10 of what I paid for this bottle of Penderyn is being spent on the packaging and the general image of how it is being presented. I understand that the average consumer will buy something that catches their eye, but if you are a whisky drinker because you like to drink whisky, then a curious sipper will buy it anyway – especially if it comes recommended. As it’s bottled at 46%, I’ll do my usual routine where I’ll smell and taste the whisky neat, and then I’ll add water. I think a couple of drops will suffice tonight.
Nose
Strong ethanol banana, vanilla, a hint of treacle, raisins, a touch of oakiness, green apple and subtle custard. After adding water: The ethanol dies down, and more fruit comes through – more berry than citrus, although it’s quite conservative and in no way manufactured. It’s creamier now, less custard – more cream soda. Adding water hasn’t drastically changed the nose, like it does with other whisky.
Palate
Better than the smell; the ethanol isn’t as strong, the treacle, oak and apple blend together to create a fairly sweet nectar. The alcohol content balances things and creates a sharpness to stop it from becoming too sweet. The vanilla is in the background, it gives it a creamy character and pairs nicely with a velvety mouth-feel. After adding water: Interestingly, this is one of the few single malts that doesn’t improve on my palate when water is added. The flavours don’t separate and heighten, but deaden and make the dram fall flat. The oak comes through more, but everything else is squashed. The apple may as well disappear until the finish, and the treacle and vanilla gives way to a non-descript sweetness.
Finish
The apple lingers on the finish, whilst the warmth and spice of the alcohol comes through – perhaps 8 or 9 seconds before fading.
Overall Impressions
It’s a nice dram, but there are more interesting single malts out there at this price point. My palate is currently leaning towards peated whisky at the moment and, without any ‘funk’, or refreshing notes in the whisky, I’m just finding it a bit too bland and unremarkable. Similar in some ways to The Sexton which I’ve reviewed here.
Final Verdict
6.5/10
This has been a great tasting session for me. Penderyn Madeira Finish is the first single malt that I’ve tried that hasn’t benefited from a drop of water. This single malt shines best when it’s left in a glass for ten minutes then enjoyed slowly. The flavours are most concentrated and balanced when sipped as is. Penderyn Madeira Finish has grown on me since I first bought the bottle – it’s not my most favourite, but it’s enjoyable and better than, for example, Johnny Walker Green Label. It doesn’t carry an age statement and therefore contains young whisky that get the majority of its flavour from the madeira casks and, perhaps, the unique copper stills that it’s distilled in. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this whisky to somebody, but I wouldn’t warn them away from it either.
You can buy yourself a bottle of Penderyn Madeira Finish from here.
