Located in the foothills of the Brecon Beacons, Penderyn Distillery – the first new whisky distillery to launch in Wales in 100 years – has reached a defining milestone in its 26 year history: they are bottling their 25-year-old Welsh single malt, which has been decades in the making.
Their 12-year-old is set to debut in early July, with the 21-year-old to follow in late July, which will completing the distillery’s inaugural fully matured age-statement collection and confirming Penderyn’s formal entry into the premium and ultra-premium aged whisky tier, as summarised below:
Penderyn 25-year-old, Cask No. 1, drawn from a single Sherry butt and bottled at natural strength; it is limited to just 420 bottles and will retail for £1,200.
Penderyn 12-year-old, debuting early July, will be the entry point into Penderyn’s age-statement range and the most adventurous spirit yet, presenting a vibrant, layered profile that showcases the distillery’s distinctive Faraday still character at twelve years’ maturation.
Penderyn 21-year-old, arriving late July, is a study in deepened complexity, cask integration and patience – sitting between the accessibility of the 12-year-old and the ultra-rarity of the 25-year-old, offering customers a compelling mid-tier aged expression.
Together, the three expressions form a structured ladder of aged Welsh single malts, each offering a distinct insight into how Penderyn’s house style, shaped by Faraday stills and the Welsh maturation climate, evolves over time.
The age-statement collection is the product of long-term stock discipline and deliberate investment in maturation, a strategy that started when Penderyn distilled its very first spirit in 2000.
The maturation approach behind these expressions was shaped in part by the late Dr Jim Swan who was instrumental in developing Penderyn’s house style and whose influence on the distillery’s cask strategy endures in every bottle.
Today that legacy is in the hands of Master Blender Aista Phillips, whose expertise has been central to bringing this landmark collection to fruition. The programme builds on the distillery’s two-decade track record of innovation, including its pioneering use of Faraday stills, expansion to distilleries at Llandudno and the Swansea Copperworks, and a portfolio spanning core single malts, peated expressions and the award-winning Icons of Wales series.
Commenting on this milestone for the distillery, CEO Stephen Davies, said: “For more than twenty years we have been laying down casks with the belief that Welsh single malt deserves its place on the world stage.
“Releasing 12, 21 and 25-year-old expressions is not just a landmark for Penderyn, it is a coming-of-age moment for Welsh whisky itself.
“In an era when whisky drinkers are seeking authenticity, clear age statements and a true sense of place, these whiskies allow us to tell our story in the most compelling way possible.”
The introduction of Penderyn’s first fully matured age statement range has been described by commentators as a “new chapter for the nation’s whisky industry”, highlighting how far Welsh whisky has come since Penderyn distilled its first spirit.
Once regarded as a curiosity, Penderyn is now widely seen as the standard bearer for a growing Welsh whisky movement, championing geographical indication (GI) protections and helping to define what whisky from Wales can be on the world stage.
About Penderyn Distillery | www.penderyn.wales
is Wales’ pioneering single malt whisky producer, established in 2000 and recognised for putting modern Welsh whisky on the global map.
Distilling in distinctive Faraday stills and maturing, bottling and finishing its whiskies in Wales, Penderyn has built a reputation for quality, innovation and a proudly Welsh sense of identity across its award winning single malts, peated expressions and Icons of Wales series.
With distilleries and visitor centres in Penderyn, Llandudno and Swansea, the company exports to numerous international markets and continues to champion the development of a strong, clearly defined Welsh whisky category.