Penderyn Madeira

In the UK for four days now and currently hating the price of Australian whisky. This whisky is the original Penderyn ‘house style’, aged in ex-bourbon barrels and finished in ex-Madeira wine casks. I have wanted to try Penderyn liquid for a year or more now, but this bottle alone is $121 minimum in Australia. Supermarket here in UK - £26 (AUD$50). Now sitting on the patio at 20:30 and the suns still just about up, making this bottle shine a beautiful golden colour and living up to the moniker of Welsh Gold. I am quite excited by this pour… N: Oily, creamy and rich. Laden with sultanas, vanilla-toffee, banana and coconut, and ever so slightly herbal-grassy presence. P: Silky and full bodied. Sweetness of green apples and vanilla shortbread biscuit are well balanced with a creamy and delectable oak presence that lifts to an almost orange perfume F: Long. Crisp and pleasantly dry. Tropical elements return from the nose, coconut and maybe something approaching mango. Shortbread and some plump raisin combine with a late ginger spice. This is wonderful. Whilst you can tell this is a little young there is a wonderful fresh vibrancy to everything and just enough oak to add character and wonderful texture. Lovely complexity and balanced development. Yummy stuff, and at £26 an absolute steal. Distiller whisky taste #208

Nose: Banana hits immediately when poured, followed by a grapey tanginess that sits alongside a Bunnahabhain-style fruitiness. For a short moment, I detect strawberries. There’s a subtle maritime freshness underlying it all, with just a hint of youthful brightness. Palate: On the tongue, there’s a noticeable saltiness around the sides, balanced by bright, tangy fruit. The body carries that grapey tang and Bunnahabhain-esque dried fruit character, with hints of honey and malt sweetness weaving through. Medium heat, but not harsh. Finish: Medium length, tangy, and quite hot, leaving a lingering saltiness and a refreshing, fruity lift. Overall: I really like this whisky. It hits a sweet spot for me: fruity, tangy, with a touch of coastal saltiness, but never feeling heavy or overly sweet. While not as bold as a big coastal Islay, it’s balanced, approachable, and genuinely enjoyable.

On the nose there is toffee, vanilla and lemons. Foam shrimp candy/sweets from the 80s :) It’s a deightful nose, and the arrival equally impresses. There’s a sensational creaminess, like melted warm vanilla ice-cream. Blackcurrents then take centre stage. More citrus fruits appear in the development and mingle with stewed prunes in the medium-long finish. The Madeira cask finish compliments the fruity Penderyn signature really well. This is now my favourite expression from Penderyn. It’s such a tasty and great value whisky - I’d love to see them offer more age statement expressions.

An elegant Welsh Whisky by the Penderyn Distillery in Bacon Beacons, Wales, United Kingdom matured first in hand-selected Bourbon barrels, from the Buffalo Trace distillery, then matured in special Madeira barriques. It has an aromatic birth with notes of herbs, lemon peel, sultanas, toast & cream toffee; while a thick & crisp life adds notes of tropical fruit, raisins, custard, spices & pistachio; that leads to a balanced death of medium length. April / August 2019 / July 2022

Nose: fruity with vanilla Mouth: very fruity, a little dry, i feel citrus i think Finish :tropical fruit and a touch of spice Nez: fruité avec de la vanille Bouche: très fruité, un peu sec, j’ai l’impression de ressentir des agrumes Longueur :fruits tropicaux et une note d’épice

Penderyn Madeira Finish is their original and still best expression. Fruity, smooth and delicious, and at 46% the perfect strength. I've had many bottles over the years and the quality rarely dips below excellent. My current 24 0239 bottling is particularly good.