A Flowery Song

Background: Same 100% wheat base as the vodka, infused with ten botanicals and married with Penderyn barley spirit and water.

Nose: Sharp and fruity, with juniper and liquorice dominating.

Taste: Mild juniper, clear liquorice, citrus, and spice flavours. Surprisingly, the barley actually does come through in the finish.

(Watered)

Nose: Pretty much unchanged.

Taste: Less individual components discernible, but the separate flavours blend together into a well-realised whole.

Overall: Wonderful gin from the Welsh. Exceptionally smooth, and can be sipped straight.

Background: A new premium vodka from Penderyn Distillery. 100% wheat grain spirit that is column distilled five times.

Nose: Spirity, slightly fruity.

Taste: Smooth neutral spirit with mild fruity influences. Pretty much just tastes like alcohol.

Overall: It's vodka. Smoother than the cheap stuff, but there's not a lot of character in any vodka.

Background: Unpeated, Madeira finished single malt from Wales. No age statement, but the distiller has stated that the plan is to have their standard bottling at five years.

Nose: Pungent alcohol on the front; some toffee and vanilla; light flowery notes.

Taste: Strong malt taste, oak and spice in the background. Subtle leather influence. Short, spicy oak finish. Young, but definitely smoother and more balanced than I would expect at this age.

(Dilute.)

Nose: Some extremely light raisin present. Solventy alcohol character.

Taste: Balance is thrown way off. Very “hot”, but the malt subsides so the main flavour is a vague sweet taste. Some dried fruit in the finish.

Overall: Quite good, particularly for such a young whisky. I did not detect any real Madeira influence. Young, brash, and straightforward; once the distillery has some older stock to release, it will be interesting to see what few more years of aging does.