Penderyn was Wales’ first new whisky distillery in over 100 years when it opened in 2004, and has always celebrated its difference from traditional Scotch malt whisky distilleries.

From the beginning, Penderyn have pursued the very sensible strategy of refusing to try and copy Scotch whisky and instead have made a virtue of doing things their own way and celebrating their Welshness.

Penderyn began their distilling operations on a Faraday still, a highly unusual pot still with a rectification column inside the neck, leading to a second rectification column.  The rectification columns, where alcoholic vapour rises up the column at ever-increasing strengths, enable Penderyn to distil their spirit to a much higher alcoholic percentage than traditional double pot still distillation.

Penderyn’s new make spirit is drawn off the still at 92% abv, as opposed to the normal pot still distillation strength of around 67-69%. The Faraday still is also used to make the distillery’s vodka and gin, as well as the base spirit for Penderyn’s Merlyn cream liqueur.

Today, Penderyn has two Faraday stills in use alongside a pair of traditional pot stills that were added in 2013, giving the distillery’s all-female distillation team a wider range of options for stylistic variation in their spirit character.

Penderyn embraced finishing periods for maturation early on. The distillery’s spirit is initially matured in casks from Buffalo Trace and Evan Williams bourbons before being finished in a variety of casks, most commonly Madeira but also sherry, port and casks from Kilchoman on Islay that supply the phenols for Peated Penderyn.

Pendryn’s official core range now encompasses the distillery’s Gold series: Penderyn Madeira, Penderyn Peated, Penderyn Sherrywood and the recently-added Penderyn Rich Oak; and the Dragon series including Penderyn Myth, Penderyn Legend and Penderyn Celt. 

Independent bottlings of Penderyn are rare - aside from a handful of bottlings for overseas retail, the only significant independent bottlings of Penderyn have come, perhaps ironically, from The Scotch Malt Whisky Society.