The only other distillery tour I've done before was the Jameson tour in Dublin, Ireland. Not for better or worse the Jameson tour feels more polished and rehearsed; there is a quality to it that makes it feel like a museum experience in a similar vein to that of touring the Cadbury factory in Bourneville. The museum experience in Ireland is larger with more merchandise and a larger more touristy bar at the end of it.
The Penderyn tour however is a much smaller affair; I felt the information around the distillery to be detailed but I didn't really get much time to read a lot. Most information is provided verbally, which would've been fine had it not been quite so loud in the factory. Though, our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and friendly and quite happy to pretty much repeat everything when we'd moved to quieter location. Learning about how Penderyn differs from Scotch through use of a single copper-pot still rather than a 2 or 3 pot system, thus making it a Welsh whiskey rather than simple a Scotch made in Wales.
I especially enjoyed learning about the finishing techniques to the whiskey, and how firstly the spirit is aged in a bourbon cask from the Buffalo Trace brand, and then finished of in a a cask from another drink, from Madeira to Sherry and Port casks.
The tasting at the small bar at the end of the tour was excellent as well, with the guide able to provide everything Penderyn has to offer. 2 tokens are provided for 2 separate samples, else if you're driving you're able to take away with you a miniature bottle to enjoy later.
Though I quickly used my two tokens on the samples I thought I'd purchase later from the obligatory gift shop I was quite sure, so the guide went above and beyond to allow me to try a few others including a limited edition bourbon cask Penderyn which I then did go on to purchase. We talked informally about the different merits of the alternative versions and how individuals enjoy their Whiskey's different. Although clearly knowledgeable, I never felt condescended to by the guide at all and he was clearly enjoying my enjoyment of the fine spirit.
The gift shop at the end is well stocked with a variety of the Whiskey and other souvenirs. It's not cheap but not expensive either, most prices comparable with that online and as you'd expect some exclusive whiskeys not available on the shop shelves. I bought myself the limited edition bourbon casks Penderyn for £56 in a lovely box with a measuring cup for £6.
All in all an excellent experience. I learned a lot about Welsh whiskey in a friendly fairly informal environment and genuinely really enjoyed myself. If you like whiskey or not, I still think it's an interesting thing to learn how something unique to Wales is made.
No comments:
Post a Comment