Tasting Notes: SMWS 128.3 (Penderyn 5)

Thanks to the SMWSA for the sample
-StrongLikeCask

Penderyn 5 (SMWS 128.3), or Chestnut puree and new hiking boots

Distilled October 2006, Price of $85

ABV: 61.3%

Cask: First-fill barrel

Color: Moonshine with a whisp of gold

Nose: Sugared plums, with not much heat for that ABV. A little sour varnish note, but a lot of frosted vanillin

Taste: Rum tum tigger. A lot of flavors, and a lot of them are rum. An initial burst of heat followed by sour sweetness, leathery and warming. A ton of oak resin for how young it is. Numbs the tastebuds a bit. Water brings out some oily viscosity to the dram and brings out that sweetness from the nose. Still stonefruit. But it also simplifies the dram.

Overall: This is tasty. I haven’t had great experiences with Penderyn, and this actually shows promise once it quiets down a bit. It’s still not what I would reach for most likely, but I appreciate the opportunity to try a young dram.

Official Tasting Note:

The nose was sweet and fruity — macerated raspberries, Kirsch, cherry jam, Dr. Peppers, chocolate-coated cranberries and Haribo mix, but with fudge, toffee, hints of swimming pools and ‘brake pedals in an ambulance’. The palate held something deeply rewarding but hard to describe — sweet woodiness: hot but also smooth — sumptuous flavours of vanilla slice, banana ice lollies (right to the stick) and milk chews. The reduced nose had evident vanilla, Berwick Cockles, prunes, plums, peaches, chestnut puree and new hiking boots. The palate now delivered exotic fruits (passion fruit, star-fruit) like some long-matured single malts. From the only distillery in Wales.