ctbeck11
Penderyn 15 Year Bourbon Matured Single Cask #B105
Single Malt — Wales
Reviewed
January 5, 2022 (edited January 13, 2022)
Nose - cereal grain, apple, sawdust, honey, oat, floral notes, pineapple, mango, guava, orange, lemon pith, dry oak, cinnamon, moderate ethanol burn.
Taste - guava, tangerine, salted caramel, vanilla, lemon zest, allspice, ginger, spearmint, pineapple skin, cereal grain, bitter walnut, sour oak, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium short with citrus zest, tropical fruit, and sour oak flavors.
My final Penderyn is a 15 Year single cask aged in an ex-bourbon barrel. The nose is light, fruity, and dry. The tropical fruit notes, which accompany all Penderyns I’ve tasted, are out in full force. There are citrus and baking spices as well, but everything is underpinned by an unfortunate sawdusty graininess. The palate has the tropical fruit, but there’s a strong citrus quality, a bitter nuttiness, and a minty, gingery zing.
This is better than average, but the balance is all off here. The tropical fruit notes are nice, but it’s too grainy, sour, and bitter to be a particularly enjoyable dram. The 13 Year Rich Oak single cask was the standout of the four Penderyns for me. My overall impression of the distillery is that there are gems to be found, but some overpriced mediocrity as well. I’m putting it solidly in the try before you buy category. A huge thank you to @pkingmartin for providing all of the Penderyn samples. It was great being able to take a deep dive into Welsh whisky.
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@ctbeck11 Yeah, so many better options at those price points though.
@pkingmartin I see $175 locally, which is pretty crazy for what you get. The Rich Oak at $150 isn’t a steal, but the quality is in that ballpark.
I completely agree. It’s just ok and not worth the enormous price tag.