Well .... I went to Llandudno on the weekend and called into Penderyn Distillery/visitor center and shop.
It was interesting, the lady in the shop was quite attentive but really didn't know anything about whisky, 'Gin is my thing' she said, I didn't disagree.
Penderyn use the same system to produce the wash as scottish distillers, it's the still thats different.
They use a Column/reflux still (Faraday still) that produces a 90% ABV fresh make spirit .... which explains a lot.
The spirit is put in an old Bourbon barrel and then (in this case) an old Laphroig barrel. The lady was vague about the maturation process but did proudly tell me that their whisky was bottled @ 6 years old .... which explains a lot too.
Obviously it's watered down considerably and I think this happens before they put it in the barrel.
The bottle I bought (£95) is reportedly 'cask strength' @ 58.5% which means it's almost 1/3rd water and thier standards are circe 2/3rds water ....
Is it worth £95 .... No, £50 to £60 would be about right.
Was it straight out of a cask, No, it was in a barrel shaped poly pin.
Penderyn have bought some Pot Stills which will (I think) improve their whisky (it does need it).
Penderyn gets a bit fat ;'No' from me, if they were selling it as 'Whisky flavoured Gin or Vodka' then they would be more aligned with it's reality ...
