The first single cask sample on Monday was a secret distillery from Speyside. That could be a risk because it could mean the cask is poor and the distillery don’t want to put their name to it. That would be fairly unlikely and it’s more likely from a distillery which has a premium brand they want to protect and they don’t want someone else profiting from their investment in their own brand. Selling that cask or butt under their own name would dilute that brand because the individual flavour in that individual cask deviates from the house style which is a recipe of casks or a chord and not a single note that you get from a single cask.

Anyway, that preamble is all to say that while I was confident in liking that previous one I am nervous of the Penderyn. This is a distillery I’ve had mixed experience with so I’m hoping the buyers at Master of Malt have my back.

This 7 year old cask was filled in 2012 and bottled in 2019 producing 428 bottles at 52.9% ABV. The cask itself was a fino sherry barrique. When you think of fino sherry you should be expecting notes like almonds, salty brine notes and fresh crisp apple notes. All for the very reasonable £70 a bottle.

Official Tasting Notes

Nose	Juicy green apples open things up, joined by soft peaches and apricots, dusted with icing sugar. Creamy, tangy notes of gooseberry fool lead to vanilla shortbread, toasted hazelnuts, fresh oak, and a hint of creamy lemon sorbet.
Palate	Soft, juicy stone fruits, summer fruits, and thick, gloopy toffee cushion a powdering of peppery heat and robust oak, while candied nuts and drying spice tangle in the depths. Cooked apple pastries join, with a tickle of candied ginger.
Finish	Oaken vanilla, peppercorns, salted fudge, and drying sherry linger for an overall sweet, and softly creamy finish.

Tasting Notes

Colour	orange with a red hue
Nose	Powerful ginger with a little sea salt. Lots of fresh churned butter and some tart fruit. I love it
Palate	Drying spices and a little touch of bitter oak. candied ginger and a few fresh danish pastries. The mouthfeel is thick and full from the first fill Fino sherry.
Finish	A sweet icing finish with some of the underlying barley malty spirit

Where Can I Buy?

Master of Malt – https://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/penderyn/penderyn-7-year-old-2012-single-cask-master-of-malt-whisky/?sku=128082

Final Thoughts

This one is banging, it’s proper awesome. £70 well spent.