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Fahrenheit 173 - Whisky
"The king o' drinks, as I conceive it, Talisker, Isla or Glenlivit" (R.L. Stevenson)
Penderyn - Welsh Gold | 31 Dec 2011 | ||
Penderyn Sherrywood 46%:
Aged in ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks. Malty, cereally, youngish nose
but with nice notes of dried fruits (prunes, raisins) and oak. Rich, sweet, chewy palate
with custard and very nice fresh notes of clementine and apricot. Develops oak and spices (black pepper).
Grows quite spicy (but can be tamed with a drop of water). Oaky, spicy, peppery finish. Hot and warming.
(86 p)
Penderyn Madeira Finish 46%:
The classic expression, aged in ex-bourbon and finished in ex-Madeira casks.
Fruity nose with apricot, lemon and sponge cake. Also oak and mint. Quiet but nice. Sweet, chewy, fairly rich
palate. Drying, develops oak and lovely fruity notes of apricot, peach and lime. Very nice! Fruity, oaky, nice finish.
(87 p)
Penderyn Peated 46%:
Aged in ex-bourbon and ex-peated Scotch casks. Oaky, peaty nose with notes of citrus, vanilla and malt.
Sweet, chewy palate with oak, peat and fresh notes of lemon, lime and peppermint, also malt. Smooth,
nicely balanced and very nice. Very nice finish with mint and citrus. Oak and peat at the end. All in all
balanced and more-ish. Rather mild for its 46% ABV (might be even nicer at 50%).
(87 p)
The "Madeira" bottling is the most mature, balanced and complex of the three. The "Sherrywood" still has a note of cereal new-make character so I think it would benefit from a few more years in wood. The "Peated" is the least mature of the three, probably because the bourbon maturation has left more of the spirit's character. (Wine casks are generally better at masking youthful flavours.) Although they are all bottled at 46% ABV, I found the Sherrywood a bit hot, the Madeira spot on and the Peated a little weak. I'd love to see the peated Penderyn aged a few more years and bottled at 50%. That could be sensational!
Note: The "AC" on the bottle stands for "Ayr Cymru" which means "Welsh Gold".
Related link:
Penderyn distillery home page
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