Talk:Welsh whisky
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Contents |
[edit] Content from www.welsh-whiskey.co.uk
I am copy-and-pasting content from the Welsh Whisky Company website here (not into the article) because, frankly, it is difficult to read on their site!
[edit] About the company
When a once in a lifetime opportunity presents itself you cannot afford to waste it. So when the owners of the Welsh Whisky Company had the chance of building a private whisky distillery to their own design and standards they were quick off the mark. They saw it as a privilege:- and it is one they have not wasted.
Although a new distillery, it is based upon a long tradition. Like all the Celtic nations, Wales has a long history of spirit distillation. It started life as far back as the 4th century, created by a man known as Reaullt Hir of Bardsey Island off the North Wales coast.
The ingredients of this early spirit, known universally as “aqua-vitae” or gwirod in the Welsh language, was a mix of barley, yeast and honey distilled to make a basic raw spirit.
In more modern times, there was a small commercial distillery at Dale in Pembrokeshire in 1705. This distillery was owned by the Evan Williams family who later emigrated to the USA and helped found the Kentucky Whiskey Industry (Bourbon).
In the 19th Century there was a whisky distillery at Frongoch near Bala in North Wales. Unfortunately, for the Welsh whisky industry, this distillery closed in the later years of the 19th Century. Its closure coincided with the height of religious revival and “chapel building mania” in Wales, which stressed the importance of temperance.
But now the Welsh Whisky Company has revived these pioneering traditions by building their purpose-built distillery at Penderyn, which is now the home of Welsh Whisky.
Welsh single malt whisky is being distilled and matured at Penderyn in Jack Daniels and Evan Williams casks. This allows the new Welsh malt to renew its acquaintance with these Welsh pioneers of the bourbon industry.
The single malts will be finished in a variety of woods such as sherry and Madeira Casks.
The distillery nestles in the picturesque village of Penderyn and is interesting on a number of counts. It is the first distillery in Wales to produce single malt whisky since the Frongoch distillery closed. Secondly, the building is a kind of paradox. Although it complies with strictest modern standards, its design is based upon that of the 19th Century Frongoch distillery. As well as the still room and bottling plant, the Distillery at Penderyn also incorporates the maturation house. From 2005 it will also be the site of the Welsh Whisky Visitors Centre, which will cater for over 100,000 visitors a year.
The Welsh Whisky Company’s distillery, known as the Gwalia distillery, is found in the picturesque village of Penderyn in the southern reaches of the scenic splendour of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The area has spectacular mountain scenery, open moorland and valleys containing fast-flowing streams, rivers and waterfalls.
One such waterfall is the famous and popular Scwyd-Yr-Eira, within walking distance of the distillery.
[edit] Distilling in Wales
On 14th September 2000 something happened in Wales for the first time in over a century – they distilled whisky! Like all of the nations on the Celtic fringe of Europe whisky distilling had been widely practiced. Records exist that suggest that barley, yeast and honey had been used to make an alcoholic drink called ‘gwirod’ as early as the 4th century.
The last pot stills in Wales, at Bala in the north, had ceased operation in 1896 when the owner was reportedly killed in a tragic accident. The population at that time were torn between two extremes – their love of whisky on the one hand and a strong temperance movement on the other. It was not a good time to make whisky in the Principality. But by the onset of the Millennium the desire to distil malt whisky once again had taken root in South Wales and infected a group of enthusiastic patriots. Distilling is like that. Concurrently a European funded research project was underway to develop a unique pot still for the production of spirit; it was to find a home in Wales.
Making malt whisky is a slow business, it needs great patience and adequate funds. To finance making a product European law dictates that it cannot be sold as whisky for three years and usually much longer if the taste buds are to be assuaged is not easy and needs meticulous planning. But our Welsh patriots were not to be put off and went much further than that; they produced a pot still distillery that lies within a National Park, has an abundant pure underground water supply and two major innovations – never to be called a “me-too”, distillery, They produced a unique malt whisky with a light easy drinking style and a link with the New World where their forefathers had emigrated to make American whiskey.
On March 1 2004, St David’s day the first release will take place, and while the main stocks of whisky will age for longer the connoisseur will be able to sample this latest addition to the World of Whisky.
[edit] The innovations
The pot still developed by a team led by Dr David Faraday (a descendant of Sir Michael Faraday discoverer of the electrolytic cell). The unique feature of the still is that only one is needed to make whisky”! The Irish need up to three apparently, the Scots only two and now the Welsh can manage with only one.
Not really true. The first distillation is in a pot still and the vapour is taken directly into a column still. So, it is really distilled twice. The closest approximation in the old days is the Lomond still used in a few distilleries in Scotland many years ago.
- Unsigned by 216.54.80.2 03:12, 26 October 2005 (UTC)
How can this be? Faraday’s pot still is made entirely of copper with 24 sieve plates above the pot and a facility to recycle vapour. Spirit is drawn at the seventh plate. The weight and style of the whisky can be varied by altering these parameters. Fermented wash is batch distilled just like any other pot still but there are no low wines, only spirit. The wash used at the distillery is about 8% alcoholic strength but when the new-make whisky first emerges from the spirit draw point it is over 90% alcohol in strength.
The still has other benefits, at first sight these may seem less important to the consumer but ultimately they are – by contributing to the clean fresh flavour. The first of these is the small feints fraction – about 1% of the total distillate. In conventional double pot still distillation the amount of liquid collected as whisky is only about 20%, the rest must be recycled as foreshots and feints (heads and tails). It follows from this that the other benefit is a greatly reduced energy requirement. Calculations indicate that the Welsh pot still needs only 38% of the energy needed to power traditional pot stills.
Irrespective of what alcoholic strength the whisky is bottled there will be no need for chill filtration. Single malt whiskies that are sold at 46% strength (92 proof US), obviously including cask strength whiskies do not need to be chill filtered. The small amounts of simple fats that create chill haze, coming from the yeast cells that created the alcohol are sufficiently soluble in that high alcohol content to avoid creating a milky appearance when it becomes cold. However if the strength is 40% or even 43% then chill filtration is practised. This is because conventional pot stills allow too much fatty material to distil into the spirit, creating the potential for haze. At Penderyn the amount of these simple fats that is allowed to finish up in the spirit can be controlled to allow just the right amount to achieve stability on the one hand a pleasant mouthfeel on the other.
Presently the still operates once per day, powering up as early as 6 a.m. and completing its run just after lunchtime. The glass spirit receiver shows every drop of the new spirit as it emerges from the condenser.
The second innovation lies in complete control of the lactic acid fermentation that is so important to spirit quality and complexity. Distillers normally do not sterilise the fermented wash by boiling, so they retain enzymes that allow further conversion of sugars of the sugars from malted barley during fermentation thereby increasing alcohol yield. By avoiding sterilisation lactic acid bacteria, introduced to the wash from the malted barley enhance flavour creation through a post-yeast lactic acid bacterial fermentation.
At the distillery at Penderyn the process is quite different. Brewing experts at the nearby Brains brewery in Cardiff carry out the yeast fermentation on a boiled, sterilised wort. The temperature of the fermented liquor is then raised (lactic acid cultures like it a bit warmer than yeast) and a lactic acid culture is added to create the bacterial fermentation and a new range of flavours.
The result is the same as in more traditional fermentation except that everything is under the master distillers control.
[edit] Maturation
Think of the names ‘Jack Daniels’ and ‘Evan Williams’. Sound Welsh? No wonder, they came from Welsh immigrants to the USA. Jack Daniels was born in America from Welsh parents while the Williams family are believed to have operated a malt whisky distillery near Dale in Pembrokeshire before emigrating to seek their fortune. With a heritage like this it is small wonder that the new Welsh distillery should decide to use ex-bourbon barrels for the majority of their stock. For the rest of their cask inventory they use fortified wine barrels.
Not far from Cardiff, just across the Bristol Channel the port of Bristol had achieved fame for its wines and spirits and had imported more fortified wine barrels than any other UK port. Much of this fine wine made its way into South Wales, creating a handy supply of empty barrels waiting to be filled with newly distilled whisky. Nowadays it’s not so easy to obtain used wine barrels. But at Penderyn that historical importation has been re-introduced and extends to Sherry, Madeira and sweet Hungarian wine casks.
[edit] Flavour
By design Penderyn will be light and delicate in style – taking advantage of the purity than can be achieved by still. It is aimed to be delicate yet complex, some fruity character, mild hints of digestive biscuits and easy to drink.
The release on St David’s day will be just the beginning. As the whisky ages it will become heavier and even more complex and for the next few years it will continue to improve. It is likely that it’s optimum age will be lower than its Scotch cousins since the undesirable elements that need many years to disappear will not be present in the first place.
For those fortunate to taste the St David’s day release they can rest assured that they have witnessed the start of a new era in Welsh whisky.
Dr James Swan. BSc, PhD, C.Chem., FRSC, FIBrew.
[edit] Penderyn Whisky
The whisky is 'finished' in Madeira casks to impart a generous flavour of subtle complexity. The whisky spirit is supremely smooth, mellow and full of flavour - even before it is laid down to mature in oak barrels Hand crafted to perfection, the unique distillation and maturation process at Penderyn produces a single malt whisky that is smooth, light in character and softly golden in colour. This fine whisky captures the true spirit of Wales.
At premium strength (46% abv) Penderyn single malt whisky has an exceptionally balanced taste with an aroma of cream toffee and fleetingly of fresh new leather. Then, as the initial sensations fade, the finishing notes of tropical fruits, raisins and vanilla emerge strongly and are long lasting.
[edit] Tasting notes
Wherever you are in the world, whether you are Welsh, of Welsh descent or not, the spirit of Wales are near at hand. Just reach for your glass and transport your senses to Penderyn were our fine single malts are maturing.
Imagine the Red Kite gracefully gliding over the picturesque Brecon Beacons and the dipper settling on the clean pure waters of Penderyn, the heady atmosphere and burnished copper of our still house, the serenity of our ageing house where our casks are awaiting for their awakening.
So whatever you are drinking at present, raise your glass, and toast the magnificent splendour of Wales and it's maturing single malts. throup ✆ ✍ 16:24, 9 October 2005 (UTC)
[edit] Older Welsh Whisky
I don't have the time now, but there should probably be mention of the previous "Welsh whiskies" (Prince of Wales, etc) that were produced in Scotland, steeped in welsh herbs, and bottled in Wales. I believe that this practice caused the Scottish government to pass new legislation to put an end to the trickery. Pendryn was not the first attempt at creating a product of Wales.
And for the record, Prince of Wales was a fantasticly unique whisky.
[edit] Flavor
what seperates it's flavor from other british isles whisky? That should be in the article. Never having tasted this type, i can't comment. ReverendG 07:38, 20 August 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Error in timeframe?
There seems to be an error in the article that I haven't the knowledge to correct. The first paragraph states that Penderyn Distillery "revised" (I think the writer meant "revived") Welsh whisky distilling "after an absence of more than 100 years". Yet the second paragraph states that "The last distillery in Wales closed in 1984, and no whisky has been distilled until 2001." 1984 to 2001 is seventeen years, not "more than 100 years". Was the last distillery open for business for over 83 years without actually producing anything? Which paragraph is correct? 12.22.250.4 20:26, 29 January 2007 (UTC)
