Here is how Penderyn whiskies fare in my Meta-Critic Whisky Database, compared to some other new European producers: This cookie is set by Rubicon Project to control synchronization of user identification and exchange of user data between various ad services. We may sell, license, transfer, assign or in any other way dispose of the Service (including Members) to any third party without any notification to you, e.g. (but without limitation) in connection with any reorganization, restructuring, merger or sale, or other transfer of assets.

Nothing in the Terms shall exclude or limit our liability for fraudulent misrepresentation or for death or personal injury resulting from gross negligence or willful misconduct by us.Palate: Sweet arrival, with the icing sugar moving more towards molasses now – plus a candy apple sugar coating. Peach and pear, plus those tart apples (think early-season Macintosh). Dark grapes. Lemon citrus, including pith. You can really taste the madeira finishing here, complementing the malt nicely. Classic wood spices show up, but mild – mainly nutmeg. Has a tangy metallic taste on the swallow, with some bitterness immediately afterwards. No real burn, in keeping with the 41% ABV. If we decide not to exercise or enforce any right or provision of these Terms, such decision shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. Both of these whiskies are non-chill filtered and with natural colour. Big thumbs up there. The Madeira finish comes in at 46%, which we always love to see. The Legend is bottled at an intriguing 41%. I’m not sure what the thought is behind that, but I suppose we should be thankful of anything above 40% from an entry level range. Although only one of these is named the Madeira finish, both are actually finished in ex-madeira casks. Madeira finishes are something of a house style for the distillery. As you can see from the tasting notes, both whiskies share many similarities, which isn’t surprising. Wales is part of the United Kingdom and home to the native people of the British Isles. Welsh national identity emerged among the Celtic Britons after the Roman withdrawal in the 5th century. In this country, rich in myth and legend, the people have a quiet power and passion and many still speak the ancient Welsh language. This Legend expression is part of their latest series of no-age-statement (NAS) single malt whiskies, along with Myth and Celt. All are bottled at 41% ABV.

We are all proud Celtic nations, with our own language, identity, rugged, sparsely populated lands, and a history of oppression at the hands of English rule. One area where we have been lagging behind is in the production of whisk(e)y. However, there is an interesting history to Welsh whisky, as well as signs of a bright future ahead. Penderyn single malt whisky is made using the traditional pot still method, and is matured in ex-bourbon barrels. Penderyn also produces a peated single malt whisky, which is matured in ex-bourbon barrels and finished in Islay peated whisky barrels.Penderyn is a Welsh distillery and whisky brand, known for its award-winning single malt whiskies. The Penderyn distillery is located in the Brecon Beacons National Park, in the historic village of Penderyn. Our Service is an online platform which provides Members with information (e.g. bottle facts, market-indices, market values and prices) on (mostly) whisky and allows Members to add information to the platform. We do not sell, nor does the Service provide any option to buy, any alcoholic products.

Unless mandatory applicable law provides otherwise, your use of and membership to the Service are exclusively governed by Dutch law. We shall first try to settle any dispute over a dram of whisky. Disputes that cannot be settled over multiple drams of whisky shall be solely submitted to the court of Amsterdam, The Netherlands unless mandatory applicable law provides otherwise. Final Thoughts: This is a very intriguing whiskey. The nose is fantastic, if just for the mystery I found in it. The normal Portwood finish flavours are certainly there, but there is much more going on as well. While not bad, by any means, I did find it a bit disappointing to sip. The body just wasn’t quite there to support those deep, brooding fruit and spice notes. While definitely a pleasant experience, the nose certainly set expectations a bit high for what the body could actually deliver.Penderyn Legend is matured in specially reserved ex-bourbon casks made from American Oak, before receiving a further maturation in oak barriques that have previously held Madeira wine, to develop a harmonious single malt whisky with a subtle but sophisticated character and soft golden hues. Appearance: Notably cloudy and oily, it’s the colour of dusty rose gold and less leggy than the others. Palate: The flavors are unsurprisingly dominated by fruit but in a more dessert minded way. Strawberries, honeydew, biscuits and clotted cream mingle with a kind of acerbic smoke character. A little saline character would be nice to finesse out a bit more fruit through the slightly punishing smoke character. The body is a bit thin and there’s not much length to it. In the mouth: It’s pretty thin on the palate. There is more lemon, apple, raisins and also some damp cardboard. The initial sweetness is soon overpowered by bitterness, which is prolonged and remains in the finish, with cream, hazelnut, drying oak spice and salt. Conclusions

Final Thoughts: This is a very fruit forward whiskey that I’m not sure benefits from the peating nor the cask treatment. It’s almost reminiscent of Tobala mezcales in its combination of very ripe tropical fruit, saline and smoke. It’s fine in small doses but a little aggressive for my tastes in whiskey. If you’re a fan of rhum agricoles and mezcales it’s worth noting that this is one of the closest analogues I’ve found in whiskey (though I enjoy most of those far more than I enjoyed this). There’s a bit of alcohol burn and some slightly dusty wood tannins but overall a vast improvement from the Peated expression. Layers of delicate fruits, marzipan and lightly sweet breads with some baking spices for character make this enjoyable through the last. Nose: A familiar fruit profile jumps out once again, with melon gummies, pineapple juice and green apple rushing to the front. There are viognier grapes and there’s a little touch saline as well. It’s a bit hot up front, but with a few drops of water it opens up and milds the heat quite a bit. Very pleasant aromatics.

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Final Thoughts: The Rich Oak Single Malt is a delightful dram. The interplay between aromatic fruits, sweetness and oak tannins is very well done. It comes across as very ‘traditional’ (read: balanced) in its flavor profile, despite the relatively experimental cask regimine. This expression originated as a series of smaller releases focusing on different wine casks finishes, and I’m now very intrigued to try those. The 92 proof of this release is lower than the previous expressions and I’d love to try a cask strength version! When we sat down to do a night of Penderyn whiskies with the Southern California Whiskey Club, I had no idea how many Madeira influenced whiskies we’d be trying that night. The current Madeira, the old Madeira, the Independence (member side pour), the Red Flag (another side pour) and this, the Penderyn Legend. They really love their Madeira finishes in Wales. Penderyn Legend is the new name for our classic Penderyn house style at 41% abv, our single malt whisky with a light Madeira barrique finish. Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie. This is much better. The palate has a better balance and fuller flavour, possibly thanks to the higher ABV. I’d suggest this would be a better option if you want an introduction to the distillery, especially when you consider the relatively small price difference. Score: 6/10