Penderyn (and other quality spirits)

rubertoe

What with Xmas coming up and it being a season for family etc etc blah blah...

I got my father-in-law a bottle of Penderyn single malt.

whisky

He is Welsh you see.. now my question as someone who doesn't take whisky (I'm more of a Red Wine, Cider and G&T man) is how do I drink it. I don't want to seem like the uncouth buffoon that I am, and I am sure that I will be offered a glass or two after Xmas dinner.

So how do I take it?

Lefthook

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/step ... p2-le-whaf

Drink it as a cloud.

Corporate Camper

rubertoe wrote:

So how do I take it?

You just drink it.

Don't put anything in it. Maybe a cube of ice is acceptable, but I really don't think it is.
If you put Coke in it then you're a great big Nobber.

rjsterry

Corporate Camper wrote:

rubertoe wrote:

So how do I take it?

You just drink it.

Don't put anything in it. Maybe a cube of ice is acceptable, but I really don't think it is.
If you put Coke in it then you're a great big Nobber.

No ice. Water (not London tap) is acceptable.

daviesee

rjsterry wrote:

Corporate Camper wrote:

rubertoe wrote:

So how do I take it?

You just drink it.

Don't put anything in it. Maybe a cube of ice is acceptable, but I really don't think it is.
If you put Coke in it then you're a great big Nobber.

No ice. Water (not London tap) is acceptable.

^^^^ THIS ^^^^

Only a little though, just enough to release the aromas. Roughly a teaspoon to a tablespoons worth.

Don't just knock it back either. Let it linger in the mouth a small while before swallowing.
If you don't like it, that's fine.
It just means you are not a man.

Underscore

Agreed: no ice. Had a bottle of Penderyn a couple years back and don't recalling feeling the need to add water so I would just take it as it comes. Nice whisky.

Interestingly, I went to whisky tasting the other night where they provide a plastic pipette for adding water. Even for the Octomore 5.1 at 59.5%, few felt the need to dilute with a volume of water greater than 5% of the volume of whisky.

_

vermin

Too many pot plants have been poisoned over the years as a result of my not wishing to rudely reject peoples' well intentioned offers of 'a wee dram'. I have not found a single way of avoiding an instant gag reflex at the mere smell of the stuff. Even 'whisky flavoured sweets or what-have-you. Just not the target market I guess.

However, not wishing to derail the thread, but that gin looks promising - gold award they say. Anyone tried it? I've become quite comfortable in the Sipsmith way over the last couple of years, but always on the lookout for the next big thing.

sketchley

rubertoe wrote:

What with Xmas coming up and it being a season for family etc etc blah blah...

I got my father-in-law a bottle of Penderyn single malt.

whisky

He is Welsh you see.. now my question as someone who doesn't take whisky (I'm more of a Red Wine, Cider and G&T man) is how do I drink it. I don't want to seem like the uncouth buffoon that I am, and I am sure that I will be offered a glass or two after Xmas dinner.

So how do I take it?

Penderyn is bottled at 46%, not 40% like most scotch single malts. The head distiller, who i've met and talked me through the process, does this diliberately so that you can add water before drinking to bring out the flavour. He feels this is better than putting more water in before bottling to get it down to 40% like most scotch. It also allows the drinker to decide how must water they want to add without diluting too much. Personally I never add water to scotch (unless it's cask strength) but I do with Penderyn. So get a bottle of pure mineral / spring water as you wouldn't want to use nasty tap water, put it in very clean jug, get two nice wiskey glasses, I use glencairn glasses with a Penderyn logo on them, but any good quality glass with a bit a weight behind it is fine. Next get the bottle put it all on a table next with the jub of water and the glasses, ideally next to some comfy chairs and a roaring fire. Then poor a nice measure, always your guess first mind, and then add a small drop of water to yours not thiers let them do that and always start with a small drop of water as you can add more but it's much harder to take it out again, then spin it round the glass to mix it and smell the whiskey, like you would a good red wine, and discover the first joy of penderyn is that it smells fantastic, and then drink, don't gulp but don't sip either as you want to taste it then repeat until the bottle is empty.... If you would like me to show you how get a bottle and come round! Oh and never ever put ice in it or chill it....

sketchley

vermin wrote:

Too many pot plants have been poisoned over the years as a result of my not wishing to rudely reject peoples' well intentioned offers of 'a wee dram'. I have not found a single way of avoiding an instant gag reflex at the mere smell of the stuff. Even 'whisky flavoured sweets or what-have-you. Just not the target market I guess.

However, not wishing to derail the thread, but that gin looks promising - gold award they say. Anyone tried it? I've become quite comfortable in the Sipsmith way over the last couple of years, but always on the lookout for the next big thing.

Yes I have, and their vodka which si also good. The gin is realy nice and very smooth, it makes a great G&T or better still Gin, Lime and Soda... however most surprising thing about it is that you can drink it neat and it is still very nice and very smooth, which cannot be said for most gins around.

notsoblue

vermin wrote:

Too many pot plants have been poisoned over the years as a result of my not wishing to rudely reject peoples' well intentioned offers of 'a wee dram'. I have not found a single way of avoiding an instant gag reflex at the mere smell of the stuff. Even 'whisky flavoured sweets or what-have-you. Just not the target market I guess.

However, not wishing to derail the thread, but that gin looks promising - gold award they say. Anyone tried it? I've become quite comfortable in the Sipsmith way over the last couple of years, but always on the lookout for the next big thing.

Yeah, I can't stand Whiskey myself, makes me retch too...

I've been to the Penderyn distillery actually, and picked up some Gin while I was there. Not tried it yet though, will report back soon.

cyclingprop

As you like it would be my view. If you don't enjoy the end result, then what's the point?

Initialised

Sketchley wrote:

rubertoe wrote:

What with Xmas coming up and it being a season for family etc etc blah blah...

I got my father-in-law a bottle of Penderyn single malt.

whisky

He is Welsh you see.. now my question as someone who doesn't take whisky (I'm more of a Red Wine, Cider and G&T man) is how do I drink it. I don't want to seem like the uncouth buffoon that I am, and I am sure that I will be offered a glass or two after Xmas dinner.

So how do I take it?

Penderyn is bottled at 46%, not 40% like most scotch single malts. The head distiller, who i've met and talked me through the process, does this diliberately so that you can add water before drinking to bring out the flavour. He feels this is better than putting more water in before bottling to get it down to 40% like most scotch. It also allows the drinker to decide how must water they want to add without diluting too much. Personally I never add water to scotch (unless it's cask strength) but I do with Penderyn. So get a bottle of pure mineral / spring water as you wouldn't want to use nasty tap water, put it in very clean jug, get two nice wiskey glasses, I use glencairn glasses with a Penderyn logo on them, but any good quality glass with a bit a weight behind it is fine. Next get the bottle put it all on a table next with the jub of water and the glasses, ideally next to some comfy chairs and a roaring fire. Then poor a nice measure, always your guess first mind, and then add a small drop of water to yours not thiers let them do that and always start with a small drop of water as you can add more but it's much harder to take it out again, then spin it round the glass to mix it and smell the whiskey, like you would a good red wine, and discover the first joy of penderyn is that it smells fantastic, and then drink, don't gulp but don't sip either as you want to taste it then repeat until the bottle is empty.... If you would like me to show you how get a bottle and come round! Oh and never ever put ice in it or chill it....

*drool* WANT

Agent57

vermin wrote:

I have not found a single way of avoiding an instant gag reflex at the mere smell of the stuff.

I used to feel that way, but a colleague persuaded me I just hadn't found the right whisky yet. Turned out he was right - I really like the heavily peated ones. Got a bottle of Laphroaig Quarter Cask for my birthday last weekend. \o/

Tricycleboy

Penderyn- ahh that takes me back...

First tried it in the pub in the crypt of Llanthony priory, a ruined agustinian abbey in the brecon beacons http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llanthony_Priory. I suggest a visit- they're more than happy for you to take your whiskey for a walk around the ruins in the evening. Bloody brilliant.

sketchley

£5 off in Sainsbury's at the moment ~£28 a bottle. Ufortunatley jus the Maderia finish and not the Sherrywood, but bargain....

vermin

Sketchley wrote:

£5 off in Sainsbury's at the moment ~£28 a bottle. Ufortunatley jus the Maderia finish and not the Sherrywood, but bargain....

2 posts, both Sainsbury's booze bargains. Proper prioritization.

bill_gates

Penderyn is rank.

I got a gift about three years ago for Christmas and the best use I could find for it was to make a spring onion and whisky sauce for cooking when having a steak at home. This was second only to chain cleaner.

itboffin

yuck

mouth

Haven't been able to drink Whisky (Scottish ones) or Whiskey (non-Scottish ones) since an incident involving theft from a local off licence when I was about 12. I'll spare the details but a couple of mates pinched a bottle of Grants which we shared three ways. Even a sniff of JD turns my stomach to this day.

A friend recently received a bottle of Penderyn and he enjoyed it quite a lot. He generally takes Jura as his personal favourite. Don't know if that helps anyone.

I might give a bottle of that vodka a go though. I need an alternative to Grey Goose.

mudcow007

just stick loads of coke in it with ice, you will be reet

il_principe

Mouth wrote:

I might give a bottle of that vodka a go though. I need an alternative to Grey Goose.

Have you tried Chase's English Vodka. Good stuff.

rubertoe

Ok: so this started out as how to take Whiskey with the father in law;

But while we are at, someone recomend me a Gin? (for me and the EPO).

mudcow007

rubertoe wrote:

But while we are at, someone recomend me a Gin? (for me and the EPO).

Bombay sapphire

sketchley

rubertoe wrote:

Ok: so this started out as how to take Whiskey with the father in law;

But while we are at, someone recomend me a Gin? (for me and the EPO).

Brecon gin from the penderyn distillery.


http://www.welsh-whisky.co.uk/Our-Spiri ... n-Gin.aspx

vermin

rubertoe wrote:

Ok: so this started out as how to take Whiskey with the father in law;

But while we are at, someone recomend me a Gin? (for me and the EPO).

Sipsmith - Hammersmith's finest. Really soft and mellow. Saphire's not bad - better than Tesco's Everyday Gin, at least.

Ordered a bottle of the Penderyn gin on Monday to see how it compares.

rubertoe

What about Hendricks? Any good?

vermin

rubertoe wrote:

What about Hendricks? Any good?

Different drink altogether. Nice, but not straight gin, and can only be drunk in summer.

MrSweary

Hmmm I'm going to be tucking into a Kopke Colheita this Xmas - nothing quite like a good tawny port.

London_Falcon

One more for the list - I was bought a bottle of Jack Daniels Single Barrel for my birthday a few weeks back. It's very good.

sketchley

London_Falcon wrote:

One more for the list - I was bought a bottle of Jack Daniels Single Barrel for my birthday a few weeks back. It's very good.

If you like that try this

http://oldripvanwinkle.com/

vermin

vermin wrote:

rubertoe wrote:

Ok: so this started out as how to take Whiskey with the father in law;

But while we are at, someone recomend me a Gin? (for me and the EPO).

Sipsmith - Hammersmith's finest. Really soft and mellow. Saphire's not bad - better than Tesco's Everyday Gin, at least.

Ordered a bottle of the Penderyn gin on Monday to see how it compares.

Brecon arrived (36 hours after placing the order). First impression; very soft and mellow. Goes down beautifully straight, but gets a bit lost in the mix.

Made the War programme more bearable.