WELSH WHISKEY REVIEWS
Welcome to the Welsh Whiskey section of reviews. Here, reviews are categorised based on the distillery locations. Currently, only the Brecon Beacons are featured here, however more will be added over time.
how whiskies are reviewed
whiskies are sampled in a glencairn; the official glass used by distilleries, tasting venues and festivals, designed to get the most out of the spirit
They are left to ‘breathe’ for a minimum of 10 minutes. This allows time for the compounds in the spirit to react with the air and unveil their aromas and flavour further
The whiskies are then judged based on five classic criteria employed in the industry: colour, body, nose, palate and finish.
in certain cases, a drop or two of water will be added to open the whiskey up further. this is often used in cases where the abv is greater than 43%, or where further judgment is required
whiskies are THEN given a score out of 5, which encompasses the five criteria, as well as personal opinion on the background of the whiskey, its production methods, retail value and reputation.
reviews are categorised by THE WHISKEY’S area of production
Click below to find out more:
Next to some whiskey titles you may also notice acronyms – click the legend below to find out what these refer to.
LEGEND
Whiskies are broad in their character, value and distribution methods. Next to some titles you will therefore encounter acronyms which account of these to help understand why these are factored in to the scoring, which will be explained below.
IR (Independent Release)
Many whiskies are bottled by independent parties. Independent bottlings will tend to carry the name of the distillery, the bottling strength, the batch number, the age, and, if it comes from a single cask, the number of bottles produced from it. This adds both a rarity and a collectibility value to them. The two are not mutually exclusive however: distillery bottlings can be from single casks and yearly vintage releases. Many distilleries will often choose to have their products independently bottled to save on costs, and independent bottlings also allows customers to still enjoy products from those distilleries that no longer bottle their own or rarely do so. Independent bottlers also offer a sense of novelty and creativity that diversifies the whiskey scene. Examples of independent bottlers include Gordon & MacPhail, Cadenheads, SMWS, Hunter Laing’s (First Editions, Old Malt Casks, Old & Rare), Compass Box & Signatory.
CS (Cask Strength)
Whiskey by law must be bottled at a minimum strength of 40% ABV (80 proof.) When the spirit is drawn from the cask, water is then added in order to bring it down to this threshold. Whilst many whiskies hover between the 40% to 46% mark, cask strength whiskies on the other hand are just that; whiskies bottled at their natural ABV without the addition of water. These tend to deliver greater complexities of flavor and nuances in character, which are often muted by dilution. Distilleries often do a series of cask strength whiskies as a yearly batch release. Aberlour produce ex-sherry cask whiskies, known as their A’Bunadh range. Glenfarclas also do a widely-popular and highly-valued single-cask Family Cask series.
Ironically however, many whiskies at cask strength also benefit greatly from the slow and minimal addition of water (typically by pipette) to activate chemical reactions with the oils in the whiskies that then unveil flavor and develop additional ones. There is a great satisfaction in spending an evening with a dram
LR (Limited Release)
Bottlings marked as Limited Release may have been produced by a distillery to either mark a specific event, person or period in time. If the number of bottles produced for a particular whiskey is known, this will be also noted on the lavek. As expected, limited release whiskies are few in number and often the best chances to try them are to visit festivals, which some distilleries bottle specifically for (Lagavulin being an example for the Feis Ile festival), attend an extended distillery tasting event or bid for them at an auction.
DF (DUTY FREE)
Limited edition travel exclusive bottlings which can only be acquired at the respective distillery and/or an airport duty free. As the name mentions, Duty Free bottlings by their nature are already limited release, so the acronym above won’t be used alongside.
This popup contains links to third-party sites. The webmaster bears no responsibility on the content of these sites and is not affiliated with any of the companies or links mentioned.
Brecon Beacons Whiskey
PENDERYN
Reviews from the Brecon Beacons area, noted for its National Park, two National Trails and vast mountain ranges across the South of Wales.
Penderyn : Madeira
46% ABV | 70cl | BRECON BEACONS
Described by Penderyn as its original ‘House Style,’ the Madeira is, as the name suggests, matured in ex-bourbon casks and finished in ex-Madeira wine casks which lends itself to an extraordinarily soft, delicate and thick spirit without becoming overpowering.
COLOR
Golden straw,
BODY
Thin with very slow-moving, thin legs.
NOSE
Cherry and black fruits yoghurt, followed by acetone, in a somewhat pleasant way, then marzipan on further breathing.
PALATE
Black fruits and greek yoghurt with a touch of natural honey drizzled over.
FINISH
Warming honey leads to slightly dry finish.
SCORE: 4/5
Penderyn : Sherrywood
46% ABV | 70cl | BRECON BEACONS
Aged in the classic combination of ex-bourbon and ex-oloroso sherry casks, the Penderyn Sherrywood offers a modest range of soft, welcoming notes for conservative fans of sherry-matured whiskey, but for those wanting more gusto, they may feel short-changed.
COLOR
Golden amber.
BODY
Rich, oily and fast-moving legs.
NOSE
Blackcurrant jam.
PALATE
Figs and raspberry join the blackcurrant jam, which continues.
FINISH
Palate notes continue for some time, slowly receding away.
SCORE: 3/5
GET IN
TOUCH
I’m always interested in the latest line-ups as well as new and upcoming distilleries from across the globe. If you would like to hear my thoughts on a new product or would like to feature my reviews, please feel free to get in touch with me via the contact form.
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Welsh Whiskey Reviews
Welcome to the Welsh Whiskey section of reviews. Here, reviews are categorised based on the distillery locations. Currently, only the Brecon Beacons are featured here, however more will be added over time.
HOW WHISKIES ARE REVIEWED
WHISKIES ARE SAMPLED IN A GLENCAIRN; THE OFFICIAL GLASS USED BY DISTILLERIES, TASTING VENUES AND FESTIVALS, DESIGNED TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THE SPIRIT
THEY ARE LEFT TO ‘BREATHE’ FOR A MINIMUM OF 10 MINUTES. THIS ALLOWS TIME FOR THE COMPOUNDS IN THE SPIRIT TO REACT WITH THE AIR AND UNVEIL THEIR AROMAS AND FLAVOUR FURTHER
THE WHISKIES ARE THEN JUDGED BASED ON FIVE CLASSIC CRITERIA EMPLOYED IN THE INDUSTRY: COLOUR, BODY, NOSE, PALATE AND FINISH.
IN CERTAIN CASES, A DROP OR TWO OF WATER WILL BE ADDED TO OPEN THE WHISKEY UP FURTHER. THIS IS OFTEN USED IN CASES WHERE THE ABV IS GREATER THAN 43%, OR WHERE FURTHER JUDGMENT IS REQUIRED
WHISKIES ARE THEN GIVEN A SCORE OUT OF 5, WHICH ENCOMPASSES THE FIVE CRITERIA, AS WELL AS PERSONAL OPINION ON THE BACKGROUND OF THE WHISKEY, ITS PRODUCTION METHODS, RETAIL VALUE AND REPUTATION.
reviews are categorised by THE WHISKEY’S area of production
Click below to find out more:
Next to some whiskey titles you may also notice acronyms – click the legend below to find out what these refer to.
LEGEND
Whiskies are broad in their character, value and distribution methods. Next to some titles you will therefore encounter acronyms which account of these to help understand why these are factored in to the scoring, which will be explained below.
IR (Independent Release)
Many whiskies are bottled by independent parties. These buy the cask from a distillery, then take on the responsibility of bottling (at a particular ABV), marketing, distributing and selling them. Independent Bottlings bear the branding of the company themselves, and you will often see them all appear the same. Examples of independent bottlers include Gordon & MacPhail, Cadenheads, SMWS, Hunter Laing’s (First Editions, Old Malt Casks, Old & Rare), Compass Box & Signatory.
CS (Cask Strength)
Whilst many whiskies hover between the 40% to 46% mark, cask strength whiskies on the other hand are just that; whiskies bottled at their natural ABV without the addition of water. These tend to deliver greater complexities of flavor and nuances in character, which are often muted by dilution. Distilleries often do a series of cask strength whiskies as a yearly batch release. Aberlour produce ex-sherry cask whiskies, known as their A’Bunadh range. Glenfarclas also do a widely-popular and highly-valued single-cask Family Cask series.
LR (limited Release)
Bottlings marked as Limited Release may have been produced by a distillery to either mark a specific event, person or period in time. If the number of bottles produced for a particular whiskey is known, this will be also noted on the lavek. As expected, limited release whiskies are few in number and often the best chances to try them are to visit festivals, which some distilleries bottle specifically for (Lagavulin being an example for the Feis Ile festival), attend an extended distillery tasting event or bid for them at an auction.
DF (DUTY FREE)
Limited edition travel exclusive bottlings which can only be acquired at the respective distillery and/or an airport duty free. As the name mentions, Duty Free bottlings by their nature are already limited release, so the acronym above won’t be used alongside.
This popup contains links to third-party sites. The webmaster bears no responsibility on the content of these sites and is not affiliated with any of the companies or links mentioned.
Brecon Beacons Whiskey
PENDERYN
Reviews from the Brecon Beacons area, noted for its National Park, two National Trails and vast mountain ranges across the South of Wales.
Penderyn : Madeira
46% ABV | 70cl | BRECON BEACONS
Described by Penderyn as its original ‘House Style,’ the Madeira is, as the name suggests, matured in ex-bourbon casks and finished in ex-Madeira wine casks which lends itself to an extraordinarily soft, delicate and thick spirit without becoming overpowering.
COLOR
Golden straw.
BODY
Thin with very slow-moving, thin legs.
NOSE
Cherry and black fruits yoghurt, followed by acetone, in a somewhat pleasant way, then marzipan on further breathing.
PALATE
Black fruits and greek yoghurt with a touch of natural honey drizzled over.
FINISH
Warming honey leads to slightly dry finish.
SCORE: 4/5
Penderyn : Sherrywood
46% ABV | 70cl | BRECON BEACONS
Aged in the classic combination of ex-bourbon and ex-oloroso sherry casks, the Penderyn Sherrywood offers a modest range of soft, welcoming notes for conservative fans of sherry-matured whiskey, but for those wanting more gusto, they may feel short-changed.
COLOR
Golden amber.
BODY
Rich, oily and fast-moving legs.
NOSE
Blackcurrant jam.
PALATE
Figs and raspberry join the blackcurrant jam, which continues.
FINISH
Palate notes continue for some time, slowly receding away.
SCORE: 3/5
Contact
I’M ALWAYS INTERESTED IN THE LATEST LINE-UPS AS WELL AS NEW AND UPCOMING DISTILLERIES. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HEAR MY THOUGHTS ON A NEW PRODUCT OR WOULD LIKE TO FEATURE MY REVIEWS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH ME BELOW.
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