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Hammerfjord
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Bought the Madeira Single malt few days ago: A delight! I recommend!!!thumbsup.gif
http://www.welsh-whisky.co.uk/Our-Whiskies.aspx

stew77
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Looks great William! The Penderyn distillery and brand is completely new to me.

I have really been getting into Single Malt Scotch over the past year after primarily being a big red wine guy for the past 15+ years (and also really enjoying some of the great 100% agave sipping tequilas over the past several years).

I have been sticking mainly to single malt "Scotch" whiskeys(ie. Scotland based whiskeys), due to the strict regulations involved with Scotch production...but I can see right away that the Penderyn distillery in Wales is adhering closely to the standards set by the great many regions throughout Scotland whether it be the Islay, Highland, or Speyside regions. Some of my standout favorites have been the Lagavulin 16 year, the Balvenie Doublewood (second maturation in Spanish Sherry casks), and the Highland Park 12 and 18 year which gives coverage of the Islay, Speyside, and Highland regions (all very different but spectacular in their own way IMO).

The Balvenie has a Scotch that spends its second maturation in Caribbean Rum casks and another that spends its second maturation in Port casks (both definitely on my must try list), so I'm very intrigued by this Penderyn whiskey that spends its second maturation in Madeira casks.cool.gif

I will have to add this brand to my list of "must tries"...looks really good and that second maturation in Madeira casks following the Bourbon casks should lead to some great flavors!!!

Thanks for the tip Will!!!thumbsup.gif

Hammerfjord
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There's a lot of aroma and fruity round taste in this Penderyn...
I generally buy whiskies whic are "non chill-filtered" and "non colored".
The Bruichladdich is also a favorite.
I like them natural and the fact that even big brands are coloring them whiskies with caramel sugar is raising the hair on my neck.
In my opinion, If you want the real taste as it should be , you'll appreciate a whisky single malt with a lighter natural yellowish color tint and a slight blurring shade when you add icy fresh water in it.
Where I live, the house-hold water tap is coming straight down from the melting snow on the Arctic mountains and is just particle filtered as well as exposed to UV light to eliminate any viral contamination so it's tasting like pure spring water at 4 or 5 grades Celsius temperature all year long.
I use a drop of it in my whisky to expose flavors.
There's a law in some European countries who oblige the signalization of caramel coloring content on the whisky bottles but I don't know if it exist in the US.
They add it to make it more attractive with a darker color as well as the chill-filtering eliminate oils content and cut the blurring.
I has of course an impact on the taste.

Tony Duronio
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I noticed that in those Whiskeys Will how nice and clear they looked...they appear to be very tastyThumbsUp02.gif

Chris, funny you mention Highland Park, love that Scotch and not many people have come to enjoy it that I know. Also not found much in the resturants and bars.

Hammerfjord
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Tony Duronio wrote:
I noticed that in those Whiskeys Will how nice and clear they looked...they appear to be very tastyThumbsUp02.gif

Chris, funny you mention Highland Park, love that Scotch and not many people have come to enjoy it that I know. Also not found much in the resturants and bars.

A whisky don't get brown like that Tony: They are often colored with caramel sugar by the maker to give an aged appearance or a similar color from cask to cask.
It can modify slightly the taste as well.
Without this process, many of those whiskies would have a yellow "piss" color that is in fact natural for a whisky who's not very old and matured in special casks.
Laphroaig is using coloring in it's regular whisky as many other known brands.
I could taste the caramel in some known Scotches and it's very unpleasant specially when you know that it's not coming from the cask maturating.

stew77
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Tony Duronio wrote:
I noticed that in those Whiskeys Will how nice and clear they looked...they appear to be very tastyThumbsUp02.gif

Chris, funny you mention Highland Park, love that Scotch and not many people have come to enjoy it that I know. Also not found much in the resturants and bars.


I'll definitely have to give the Penderyn a try (I'll have to see if my favorite local shop carries it...they carry an absolutely CRAZY and SUPERB selection of single malt Scotches and other whiskeys). The vast # of choices my local shop carries makes me dizzy when trying to choose.

Tony - I agree with you my friend...the Highland Park is really great Scotch (and a unique representation from the Orkney Islands region). The 12 is a super great value IMO (and I like the additional smokiness that it brings to the table compared to say a Macallan 12) and the 18 is just plain complex, balanced, and delicious! I wouldn't waste your time with the 15 year...the 12 & 18 are where it's at IMO.

bigrustypig
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Penderyn is new to me and I'll hunt one down. Looks interesting.

As for the whiskeys, try out the single malts from Suntory of Japan. You'll get jolted by the taste, aroma and punch. Very memorable flavors and even if very, very pricey, I think they are very much worth it.

I usually have 3 to 4 bottles open and when I drink, I move from one bottle to another. The last bottle I consumed was Lagavulin 18.....high octane stuff. William, I also use just a drop or 2 of water and depending on my mood, will use a small piece of clear ice as big as a corn kernel dropped into the stout glass just to push the flavor along. Laphroig, I honor without any water....just straight down the pipes.

By the way, how do you gents drink your single malts? Stout tumblers or tulip-shaped ones?


Hammerfjord
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Lately I've been drinking whisky in this glass: Hand-made in Norway.
Love it. http://www.magnor.no/produkter/k78_p550480_antarktis_whisky_25_cl.aspx
Cost in $ is 42.
The Lagavulin 16 years old has caramel sugar inside: I stopped to buy it because of that since a while now.
For the Suntory, I saw it yesterday in my shop: It's way more expensive than any of my favorite single malts from Scotland or Wales and for me it's a straight NO-thanks.
I would feel like buying vodka made in Morocco at aged Cognac price
oh my.gif

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I sip my Scotch from the Tulip shaped glasses almost exclusively Jeff...although I would even consider a white wine glass in a pinch to focus the smells a bit more (I like the look and shape of that glass that Will posted above too).

I like to first taste Scotch completely "neat" with no water at all to get a feel for the nose and taste, and then move in slowly adding just a bit of water to open up the nose and flavors (As a relative newbie to Scotch in general, I do find it amazing how different Scotches respond to the addition of just a bit of water -- I'm talking no more than a teaspoon at most and maybe just a few drops or so). Some really change alot, opening up a ton of flavors and smells that you just don't get when neat while others are better completely neat IMO.

William - on the subject of non-chill-filtered and non-colored whiskys, I agree with you on your preference of buying non-chill-filtered and non-colored for the reasons you outlined. I would also say that the proof is in the tasting...(I certainly don't need my whisky to have carmel color added to give me a sense that I'm drinking "quality", but for some reason, some distilleries have chosen to use it). I wish they would do without the carmel coloring, but if the Scotch is a standout, I will certainly buy and drink it again (and that Lagavulin 16 that you note above is a knockout in terms of nose and flavors IMO...I really like it as far as the Islay malts go!). My only opinion on the subject of carmel color and chill filtering...IF YOU USE IT IN YOUR PRODUCT, THEN TELL ME ON THE BOTTLE. As you pointed out, it is not required in very many countries and is not required in the United States...I wish it was.

On the subject of full disclosure, I think that all whiskys should have to supply that information, along with the maturation period. This Wales Penderyn distillery gets away with not telling us how long they have matured their whiskey...just that is matured to peak perfection. Most of the information that I've read coming from Penderyn themselves states that most of their whiskeys are matured for 7 years (some less...a few years ago the average was about 5 years), so this is generally a young whiskey...but if it tastes great, then I say buy it and enjoy it! I'm looking forward to trying this one sometime in the very near future.


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I've tasted whiskies who wasn't as good as the Penderyn and was older: This single-malt will not deceive you Chris.
Now, if you are after Peated whiskies like the Lagavulin or Caol Ila : This is not the choice to go with of course.
On my side , the last bottle before this Walish scotch was the Dailuaine Duthies Single malt 14 y.old who was as well a great surprise...
Still, the Walish wins my mouth.

bigrustypig
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Will/Chris, I'm not really an expert on SMs but I just love to mix 3 or 4 brands whenever I drink at home....which is not often. I found out that Lagavulin tastes best straight, no water...same as the Japanese SMs but brands like Macallan, Glenmorangie, Glendronach, Glenfarclass, Talisker, Strathisla, Glenkinchie and even Oban present their flavors better with just a drop or 2 of water.
I'm on the fence with the solidly peaty types like Laphroig and can take them straight or with 2 drops of water.
Generally, I don't go higher than 12 years as I love the roughness and country of some of these SMs.
If I can recommend, try as many brands as you can below 12 years for about a year or 2 and then move up to those 18 years and below for about a year and step back down to the the 12s.....you'll be amazed at what your taste buds will discover. It's a great trip for sure.
On the glasses, I take Lagavaulin on the tulip and all the rest on stout and stubby tumblers. Once at a party, I tried SM on a port tumbler and I had a headache the next day.
thumbsup.gif

Last edited on Fri Jan 11th, 2013 08:47 am by bigrustypig

Hammerfjord
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For me Jeff, the quantity of fresh water depend of how much I poor into my glass. But I would say that with 2 fingers of Scotch , I use at list a tea spoon of water.
And I have thick fingers(TWSS)subtlelaugh.gif
I'll tell you amigo that the more there is caramel coloring , the more you get headache.
This is due to the high presence of carbon particles I was told...
I don't specially buy them because of the age: I've learned that some who are 16 y-old don't reach the flavor of some who are 12.
But I'm no expert at all: I don't try to be one either.

Hammerfjord
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Got this one today: I let you make the reading...Great taste!

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Hammerfjord wrote:
Got this one today: I let you make the reading...Great taste!


Looks like a sweet dram Will!!!

Chieftain's has some extremely unique and rare bottlings...I will have to keep my eyes out for some of their offerings.

Well...I've been VERY much enjoying Will's Penderyn recommendation (really unique Madeira finishing on this one...and really gives an extremely unique taste and finish in a world of scotch and whiskey IMO...think vanilla, toffee, tropical fruits, and a bit of leather too IMO.) This one is so smooth and tasty that you've got to be "careful" with this one and monitor your intake level...it's that good! Nice one Will...I'm already onto my second bottle, and my local shop now keeps this one stocked after ordering it for me.

For those that enjoy Scotch from the Islay region (and want to get a little peat and smoke [ok...alot!] with your fruits and sweets)...I've been enjoying the Caol Ila 12 Year (which they call their 'entry level' bottling and has me interested is some of their other offerings)...a real no-brainer at the price point IMO...sweet long finish and you've got that honey, vanilla, smoke, iodine on the nose with peat, smoke, sea brine, and nicely balanced fruit and citrus on the pallet....under rated stuff IMO. I've also been sampling the Ardbeg 10 year (hello!...they say Ardbeg has the highest chemical 'Peat level' of all the Islays, but it is so well done and balanced that I will definitely be buying more and trying out some of the others in the lineup (Supernova, Uigeadail, Corryvreckan) for sure. Really impressed with this distillery.

bigrustypig
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How the heck did I miss this post?

I haven't seen that brand yet, William, but next time I fly out, I'll tour the shops and find one.

Can you give me a short review about it?

Hammerfjord
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bigrustypig wrote:
How the heck did I miss this post?

I haven't seen that brand yet, William, but next time I fly out, I'll tour the shops and find one.

Can you give me a short review about it?


As told on the bottle, this particular scotch was only bottled for Norway.
Means that you will only find it in Norway and Spitsbergen island.
There's a bunch of people from Norway who travel in Scotland to establish those relations. The north Norwegian beeing huge consummers of Cognac, there is as well special Cognac serials for the Norwegian territory.
This scotch was very good but strong as you can guess. It was lightly fruity but non peated at all.
Still I prefer the Penderyn Madeira cask...


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