Whisky Discovery #65

Penderyn Peated NAS (46% abv OB Bottled Jan 2012)
Welsh Single Malt Whisky
Circa £38.00 70cl

Peated Penderyn

The final and my 21st dram of the Whisky Live London Show that I only just managed to get in my glass as 'last pour' of the day had been called.

A peated Welsh whisky? Penderyn have done everything a little different to Scotch whisky, and their peated release is follows this trait. However, releasing a peated variant of their whisky wasn't planned for and came purely by accident.

The peat comes solely from the cask the whisky matured in. The casks ordered were originally specified not to have held any peated whisky in it beforehand, but unfortunately a couple of casks slipped into their delivery and hence an occasional peated version was accidently matured. However it went down well and now is part of their core range, albeit in a lower volume with around 5,000 bottles released annually.

At premium strength (46% vol) the sweet aromatic smoke of Penderyn Peated single malt whisky is immediately obvious but soon vanilla, green apples and refreshing citrus notes mingle to give an array of gentle flavours that challenge even the most sophisticated palate. A medium finish with residues of smoke and vanilla that leaves the palate thirsting for more.

Official Tasting Notes

Palate: At premium strength (46% vol) the sweet aromatic smoke is immediately obvious but soon vanilla, green apples and refreshing citrus notes mingle to give an array of gentle flavours that challenge even the most sophisticated palate.

Finish: A medium finish with residues of smoke and vanilla

So what did I think?

I was very fortunate to obtain the remnants of one of the pouring bottles at the end of the show, it too fell off the table and into my bag while Penderyn were clearing the tables (Thanks again Penderyn!) So had some time to really get to know this at home

Nose: It's no Islay but there is a light smoky whiff, grassy, citrus, apples and vanilla and that jelly bean kind of sweetness that I'm starting to notice from younger whiskies

Palate: Sweet and light. Green fruits, apples, kiwifruit, and citrus fruits. There is a light vanilla touch there too, and the peated influence is more noticeable than on the nose.

Finish: Short, fades quite quickly. Gentle peppery spiciness with a vanilla edge

Bottled at a respectable 46% abv, naturally coloured and non chill-filtered, it is quite different to the other peated whiskies I have tried so far. It comes across as a young whisky, and while quite enjoyable to drink, it was my least favourite of the three Penderyns tasted. That maybe because I may have been expecting it to pack more of a peaty punch in an Islay manner.