Penderyn Madeira

Five years ago we played a unique links course in Wales called Nefyn & District. It was naturally formed on a cliffy promontory that extends out into the Irish Sea. There’s a spectacular view of the jagged coastline from every hole, and the day we played the winds were blowing unmercifully. By tradition everyone takes the footpath on the 12th down to the Ty Coch Inn nestled on a tiny beach below. Here, you have time for a quick pint and few laughs then it’s off to the 13th. From this tee a solid drive is required to carry a deep precipice and the ocean below to the final piece of peninsula that takes you out to a lighthouse at 14. From a tee next to the lighthouse you only have 150 yards to the par 3 green well below, but it was into a solid wall of wind coming off the ocean at 30+ mph. Balls were landing everywhere but near the green, and we were having a grand ole time. That night I had my first introduction to Penderyn, a young distillery that is Wales’ only and first in over a 100 years. Our drinks arrived and I barely had the Maderia Finish in my grasp when a fellow golfer knocked over an entire glass of Cabernet onto my tan khakis. Jumping out of my chair, it still amazes me how someone looking like the victim of attempted murder could produce that much laughter. Our accommodations were nearby, but I decided to tough it out to the taunts and teasing of eight other golfers. Despite my predicament I really enjoyed the wysgi (Welsh) that night and have revisited it several times since to see if still holds the magic from our trip. The nose on this whisky is exceedingly elegant. Red grapes, primarily Tinta Negra, make up 85% of those grown to make Madeira wine and the casks used to finish this spirit, after time spent in ex-bourbon. Bottles of this fortified vino have been known to survive up to 300 years. This gives the whisky a scent of red grape fruitiness that blends with and enhances the 46% ABV in such a way that is very inviting. This robust fruitiness carries forward and mixes with vanilla and spice to really hit the spot. If drank neat, the mouth feel has a peppery effervescence, but a bit of water or ice will tame this attribute and release the sugars making for a smooth and pleasant experience.

I detected overtones of a specific mescal in the whisky - excellent all around