Penderyn

I've noticed it in local liquor stores, but the price point is prohibitive -- more than $100 Cdn., nearly twice as much as the Laphroaig 10. I have to be very certain I'm getting something special before I'll buy at that price. Since I'm focused mainly on island malts, I doubt I'll be trying Penderyn any time soon.

bill

As I posted here from tasing Penderyn a couple of years ago, it had what was to us a repellent note of anise, more reminiscent of a liquour than a whisky. Has that note disappeared, or might it be included in some elements of your description above?

-- Larry

Interesting difference of opinion. While I make no claim to be an expert, I know what I like: Aberlour a'bunadh, Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Bowmore, that kind of stuff.

Penderyn struck me as being harsh and unpleasant tasting, with the alcohol being the only thing that redeemed it. I was comped two 50 mL bottles over a year ago. I've never bothered opening the second.

I keep seeing it in my local supermarkets (and a Threshers) but I've never yet bought one. The reviews are a little too mixed for my liking, and it's a wee bit too expensive for me to want to take a risk.

Besides, being half Scottish I'd feel like I was selling out :-) [0]

Jim [0] Joking - I have one Japanese whisky in my cabinet, and it's not half bad.

Well I'm no expert, as you can probably tell from my very superficial tasting notes; there are far more tastes in there than I was able to describe. Is anise the same as aniseed? I can't say I detected anything so sharp-edged or bitter. But if by likening the dram to a liquor you mean what I understand as a liqueur, then I can understand where you are coming from. I wouldn't personally agree though. Certainly the predominant impression is one of sweetness - hence all the references to fruits - but I didn't find it at all cloying in the way I find liqueurs.

Your money your vote, I guess.

Your tastes seem fairly similar to mine. Ardbeg 10 and a'bunadh are two of my all-time favourites (along with Bruichladdich full strength for when I want something a bit lighter). Lagavulin I love, especially the distiller's edition - which is odd since as a rule I don't much like sherried malts. Bowmore I'm not keen on, though I find the Mariner palatable - not tried much else of theirs. Laphroaig 10yo is too medicinal for me, though I do quite like the 15yo and the quarter cask.

Perhaps that might put my reaction to Penderyn in perspective. I can't relate to your description of it as "harsh". It certainly didn't strike me at all like that, even though I fully expected it to do so (generally I don't like young malts - the PC5 was nice though). I gather from the web that Penderyn first started selling their whisky when it was only 4 years old. I wonder whether at that time it was a bit on the rough side and the malt that I have just bought is now slightly more mature? It tastes young, but not *that* young! But then, what do I know?