I don’t venture into world whiskies very often, but when I do, I usually have a good reason. Welsh distillery Penderyn has a Madeira finish release that is apparently very polarizing. People seem to either love it or hate it. Sounds like a great opportunity to toss my hat into the ring and figure out which side of the argument I’m on.
[table2 caption=”Penderyn Madeira Finish – 46% ABV” colalign=”center|left”]
Category|Notes
Appearance|Straw
Nose|Shortbread cookies, orange marmalade, American oak, sawdust, this kinda smells like gin hence the juniper I’m finding now. After several minutes, hard candy sweetness emerges.
Taste|Quite juicy, lemons and limes, heavy on the lemongrass, fresh mint, did I just get a hint of cilantro?, botanicals abound.
Finish|Floral, more botanicals, oranges, I swear this tastes exactly like a gin cocktail I make at home.
Overall Thoughts|If not for the novelty factor, I think I would have scored this a lot lower. It tastes like something I already like! I’m not finding much in the way of age nor do I sense heavy oak influence but this is certainly unique. I don’t think I’d want a full bottle of this as it would get old fast.
Total Score|87/100
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