Penderyn

The hottest Welsh dram of 2022.

Fine Single Malt Whisky had been produced in Wales for centuries. But then — inexplicably — all of it stopped in 1894. Crazy right? Well the Welsh Whisky Company was founded in 2004 to put an end to this tragic Welsh drought and bring the magic spirit back to the land of King Arthur. But they didn’t just start a new distillery, they decided to do it a bit differently.

They contacted scientist Dr. David Faraday — grandson of the famous physicist — to design a special pot still that would yield a more pure distillate at a higher ABV. And this single, one-of-a-kind still has a full capacity of only one cask of spirit per day. We, the Whisky nerds, think that’s cool as heck. Today, these fine blokes produce what they call “the smoothest Whisky on Earth” and they make a strong argument with their award-winning range of finished-wood Whiskies, Gin, Vodka and a Merlyn Welsh Cream Liqueur that will tickle your wizard’s hat.

Y ddraig goch ddyry cychwyn is Welsh for “The red dragon inspires action”, a saying very much present in old Welsh tales. The Welsh have always been fiery people and it’s no wonder the Red Dragon adorns their national flag. Penderyn Celt Single Malt Welsh Whisky does the red dragon proud: finished in ex-peated quartered casks, it’s not what you would expect from such a light-colored Whisky. Sure, it’s elegant and very sippable, but still delivers rich and buttery sweet notes before the smokiness rises to the surface. The Double Gold medal at the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition came as a surprise to absolutely nobody and proved this dram is the absolute hot stuff of the moment.