Category Archives: Beyond Scotland

Penderyn Dragon Range – Myth 41%

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With no India trips in sight, I decided to go ahead and bring samples from the Penderyn Dragon range trio with me to France and Sweden… which we then decided to taste virtually late July.

Given the Dragon Range trio had Bourbon, Madeira and Peat, we decided to start with the ex-Bourbon finish. If we were to do it again, would start with the Madeira – once we’ve shared our experience with both you will understand why!

So… on to Myth matured in an ex-bourbon cask…

Penderyn Myth 41%

  • Nose – Mmmm…. apples, pears, a bit spicy, some wafts of tropical fruits, fresh grapes, toffee… increasingly sweet with vanilla, fresh baked brioche
  • Palate – More substance than expected, full of flavour with a nice bitterness too… the 2nd sip had a hint less vanilla yet the sweetness remains
  • Finish – Spice that lasts, a bit of bitter chillipepper that mellows into sweet spice

From the start this was a happy, lively summery dram, engaging on the nose, lovely on the palate… an easy enjoyable sipper. We set it aside to try the other. When we returned for a revisit – it remained just as delightful – bright, lively and fresh.

And what do the folks at Penderyn have to say?

Myth is a single malt whisky finished in a range of specially selected ex-bourbon and rejuvenated oak casks., bottled at 41% abv. (43% in the USA). This whisky has a Kosher certificate.

  • Nose: Fresh and lively, Myth has mixed citrus fruits mingling with apple, pear drops and the merest hint of tropical fruits.
  • Palate: Sweetness dominates then moves over to allow some refreshing bitterness to emerge while the mixed fruits continue to dominate the flavour.
  • Finish: Gradually all the flavours ebb away to leave memories of a lively and light style of whisky that is easy to drink.

Would we agree? Absolutely!

Welcome to the convoluted tale of how we came to taste the Penderyn Dragon range:

What about our earlier Penderyn explorations?

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Penderyn Dragon Range – Legend, Myth, Celt

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There we were on a virtual tasting bringing together friends in London, Paris, South of France, Germany, Mumbai… barely finished what was in front of us and already planning the next. Sounds simple enough, right?

Except our merry malty friends are now scattered around the globe with narrow options to coordinate combined virtual sessions between Brexit and Mumbai customs.

However with extremely limited travel and also the limitations of what can be personally brought across borders, purchasing 700ml seems silly! Enter an idea to either build on what was already in India or buy the same set of 200 ml bottles…

That’s what led to our plan for me to purchase a tasting set of 200 ml bottles online in Germany to send samples to Paris. I immediately thought of Penderyn as I knew the Madeira and other was safely tucked away in Mumbai… A quick online search and I found this Penderyn trio – what they call their Penderyn Dragon range:

As this wasn’t quite what was already in Mumbai, our London based malt man decided to pick up the same 200ml trio with every expectation of sharing in his April/May 2021 trip to India.

All excited, I proposed a virtual session with the folks at Penderyn! I contacted the delightful and amusing Aista Jukneviciute, Penderyn’s Blender whom I met at The Village spirits festival in February 2020. It was a resounding yes and the excitement built even further!

For those who aren’t familiar, Welsh distillery Penderyn was founded in 2004 and is headed by Laura Davies, Distillery Manager, who trained with Dr. Jim Swan. We’ve sampled only a few Penderyn over the years but have overall enjoyed our experiences, appreciating how it remains both more affordable and accessible in style.

And then conditions in India worsened with trips canceled with India travels suspended for the foreseeable future.

In the meantime, our European situation has improved, so I thought why not open this trio and bring to Paris along with other samples for our Euro ladies? If not today, sometime we  can enjoy a session… with (or without) our desi compatriots.

This followed by a trip to Sweden to meet up with another Whisky Lady… also with Penderyn samples in tow… and a plot to do a virtual session between Laholm, Paris and Nurnberg was hatched!

Even more remarkably… it happened late July! Not with the lovely folks at Penderyn as we’d prefer to ‘reserve’ that privilege to hold together with folks in India… but it still happened!

Convoluted and yet creative… just the kind of connects that weave together the fabulous whisky fabric!

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St Kilian Part 2 – A curious turn

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This is the 2nd part of six samples courtesy of St Kilian organized by Whiskey Jason. While the distillery trip was cancelled and I missed the official tasting experience, I was still super curious. 

The initial three were overall promising – particularly the 2nd sample was really enjoyable. We couldn’t wait to dive into the next ones…

4th Sample – Industrial

  • Colour – Quite pale
  • Nose – Oil refinery, heavy peat that was “in your face”, like a chemical processing plant, iodine, hot machine shop, cured leather, oily and very industrial, gun oil, adhesive, wood chips, parsley to strong cinnamon, cured meat and bacon
  • Palate – Embers in a cold fireplace, no balance, hard core metallic
  • Finish – Same

When I looked back on my notes, there was a quote… I hesitate to even share.. but the reaction to the 1st sip was “Ugh! Disgusting!” We really struggled with this one… after the really promising start with the initial three, it was such a shift in gears… a very curious turn…

5th Sample – Briney smoke

  • Nose – Butter fudge, creamy, vanilla, saline, briney fishy peat, cream of tartar
  • Palate – Spice, cinnamon, old smoke, hot buttered rum, such a contrast from the nose to discover such sweetness, heavy cinnamon
  • Finish – And yet the smoke lingers…

In this one the peat sort of snuck up on you… perhaps after the forceful peat of the previous one, this didn’t seem so strong. Yet as we sniffed and particularly after the 1st sip, the peat became stronger and stronger.

6th Sample – Pharmacy

  • Nose – Interestingly, it began light and fruity, then took a decidedly chemical bent… like an organic chemistry lab, shifting to a more medicinal direction, dish water, paper glue, rotten fruit and compost
  • Palate – Really bitter, on the front of the palate some sugars, yet at the back was tar
  • Finish – Slightly sweet

My goodness! How did it go from slightly fruity to compost and full pharmacy. 

We sat there stunned… perplexed… in such a quandary… what could the folks at St Kilian have been thinking? Clearly the direction of these drams was no accident but… why? What would posess pursuing a clearly industrial pharmaceutical bent? 

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St Kilian Part 1 – A promising start…

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St Kilian is one of the newer distilleries in Bavaria… I had the great pleasure to meet with a couple of folks from there together with a fellow German Sharing Angel at Nurnberg’s The Village Whisky Festival in February 2020.

Fast forward to November 2020 and there were plans to visit the distillery. I was incredibly excited to spend a weekend learning about the distillery, their processes, ideas and overall approach to whisky making.

Alas as fall progressed into winter, COVID conditions deteriorated and the trip was cancelled. However very kindly, the folks at St Kilian dispatched samples and set-up a virtual tasting. Unfortunately the samples reached me late and I also missed the virtual session too.

However, I remained very curious so on a weekend with fellow whisky enthusiasts, we cracked open the 6 bottles, split each sample into 3 and we started to explore…

1st Sample – Bursting with flavours

  • Nose – Vanilla, fruity, creamy toffee, nice bourbon cream pie… then shifted to something more herbal, vegetal with ripe tomatoes, celery… then balsam fir
  • Palate – Creamy, fruity apple, dried plums, quince, a bit raw but still interesting
  • Finish – A bit of bitter almond?

Young, till a bit fiery, scrappy… and frankly quite a promising start.

We returned after some time and it had ten on almost an artificial sweetness, candy floss and vanilla on the nose but then a biting spice on the palate with a bitter nutty finish.

2nd Sample – Tasty treat

  • Nose – Very fruity, starts with overripe bananas, then shifts into hazelnuts, back to bannoffee pie, then the nutty quality became stronger and stronger with cashew, pecan nuts adding to the hazelnut, vacillating between roasted nuts and raw nuts freshly plucked from their tree, vanilla pod, fresh resin
  • Palate – Spicy yet nothing in the slightest bit harsh! Has more substance than expected from the aroma, fuller, incredibly tasty
  • Finish – Sweet spices of cinnamon, cloves, lightly bitter

We really liked this one – it had character and remained enjoyable. Even after we set it aside for some time and returned, it was bubblegum, wintergreen oil and still delicious.

3rd Sample – Tropical punch

  • Nose – Oh my! Tropical fruits – pineapple, mango… cinnamon red candies.. very prominent banana, a hint of rubber, overall sweet with a hint of alcohol, vanilla cream, a bit of roasted chestnut, candle wax, soooo sweet… then had a hint that was almost like a bandaid adhesive 
  • Palate – Initially the bananas on the nose carried through on the palate, a hint of smoke, raw chestnut, green walnut, became sweeter and sweeter
  • Finish – Strong cinnamon finish

The colour of this last dram was quite significantly darker than the others. What was curious was the smoke. It was more like the kind of smoke that settles on the walls of a room that had someone smoke in long before rather than anything direct. 

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The Belgian Owl – Intense 72.7%

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I am pretty sure that The Belgian Owl Intense has to be the strongest whisky I’ve ever had – by alcohol strength that is! Most distilleries will reduce the new make spirit by adding water before maturing in barrels – hence even in younger cask strength whiskies we see ABV hovering around the 60%s or less. Not so with Belgium Owl who have bottled at a whopping 72.7%! What did we think of the whisky?

The Belgian Owl Intense 40 months, first fill bourbon, single cask 1538452 72.7% Bottle 177

  • Colour – Bright gold
  • Aroma – We initially thought of a dusty attic, very different. Nutty, resins, as it opened up, becoming increasingly pleasant, sweetly vanilla, a floral perfume, toffee, strawberries, Victoria sponge cake, cream, pure desert, really interesting and inviting. It kept shifting – from desert to sweet grass and honey, back to cinnamon, then caramelized bananas
  • Palate – Salty buttery caramel, cinnamon, chocolate milk, toffee, vanilla, bananas
  • Finish – Initial burn, then very sweet soft caramels
  • Water – While surprisingly smooth without water, it is even better with – bringing out a buttery cinnamon roll… over time there was almost a “perfume” on the palate

Had we sampled this “blind”, I highly doubt anyone would have guessed the ABV. It was way too delicious with different dimensions and not at all harsh. In many ways this was the most interesting of the quintet – bursting with character yet surprisingly not overwhelming.

What do the folks at The Belgian Owl have to say?

The Belgian Owl Intense is a single cask whisky stored at its degree of ageing, specifically selected by Etienne Bouillon. Each cask is unique and unveils its own character. We would like to promote some of these casks, we are sure you will be delighted.

The choice of bottling at cask strength is a completely natural choice for us. We can offer you a tasting as if you were here with us, in our whisky storehouse, undiluted, straight from the cask. This sensation is intense and unforgettable. We hope that these emotions will accompany you wherever you are.

Overall when we considered the five different whiskies in our The Belgian Owl quintet, we thought:

  • Trying the spirit with Origine provided interesting insights into the underlying qualities
  • Their flagship Identité at only 3 years is friendly with delicious aromas
  • For us, the 3-year single cask Passion was the only disappointment, coming across as a bit unbalanced and ‘not quite there’ the way Identite nailed it… and curiously lacking “passion”
  • When we first tried the 4-year Evolution, we loved how it was a clear step forward from Identite, building on what we appreciated with the added maturity really augmenting the experience on the palate in particular
  • And with Intense? Remarkable! At 72.7% we thought it would be too intense – not at all!

This set was kindly provided by The Belgian Owl – to me in Germany, my tasting companions in Paris and hopefully soon by folks in India too. However, the views here are our own.

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Additionally, there are the two ‘off-shoots’ with:

The Belgian Owl – Evolution 46%

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We kept up our exploration of The Belgian Owl with their oldest expression… and before you start thinking of venerable 20 year old whiskies, for this distillery, forty-eight months is sufficient time to produce something worthy of exploring!

The Belgian Owl Evolution 48 months, first fill bourbon 46%

  • Colour – Bright copper
  • Aroma – Ahh! Though initially a bit shy, as it opened up was well worth a wee wait. Lots of pears, herbs, vanilla, slowly evolving from floral to fruity and then back to more floral. Much like the Identite, the primary fruit was pears joined by exotic tropical fruits. We also found some quince. lovely honeysuckle, sweet spices of cloves, aniseed… then back to herbal and even a hint of pine.
  • Palate – A sharpness in a good way! That light spice, malty wood, slightly bitter… all combined in a more classic Scottish character.
  • Finish – A long soft, subtle spice, quite interesting with a hint of mint and liquorice
  • Water – No desire to add

Here was a “proper” whisky! One that wasn’t Scottish but gave a generous “nod” to a classic Scottish style. The kind of dram that invites you back to more – well balanced and interesting enough to keep you curious.

We thought of this as the “adult” version of The Belgian Owl – mildly reminiscent of Linkwood – more from the sentiment it evoked than directly comparable. Clearly one that could be a crowd-pleaser.

When we reflected back, considered Identite more of a “smell” whisky whereas the Evolution is more of a “taste” whisky… one that gives much more as you sip.

What do the folks at The Belgian Owl have to say?

Nothing on their website however this was the oldest of the quintet at four years. In keeping with their house style, matured only in ex-Bourbon casks and like Identite was likely a combination of a few casks.

What else did we receive as part of our The Belgian Owl quintet?

This set was kindly provided by the good folks at The Belgian Owl however the views here are our own.

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Additionally, there are the two ‘off-shoots’ with:

The Belgian Owl – Passion 46%

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After a decidedly promising start with both the Origine spirit and signature expression – Identite, we shifted into a single cask from The Belgian Owl. Similar age as Identite – a mere three years – it gave a window into the alchemy in a single ex-bourbon cask. What did we think? Did it bring out our passions?

The Belgian Owl Pasion 36 months, first fill bourbon, single cask 1538337 46% Bottle 29
  • Colour – Bright gold
  • Aroma – A bit closed, then as it opened fruity – particularly pear – first ripe pear, then baked pear, shifting more into tropical notes with banana, a hint of passion fruit and then clear pineapple tang, joined by some caramel and wood notes
  • Palate – Light spice, still smooth like the earlier whisky but somehow lacked the character and substance
  • Finish – Sweetish – think of red candy dye
  • Water – To be honest, we didn’t even think of trying with water

After thoroughly enjoying Identite, our expectations had risen considerably. What did we discover? It was clear it came from the same whisky family, however, it was curiously flat, and whilst smooth and sweet, we also found it a bit imbalanced. Something that was so well rounded in Identite was absent here. It was still overall quite pleasant but didn’t have that easy-going, cheerful character that was so incredibly appealing in Identite. One quipped it didn’t exactly arouse our “passions” though was actually quite a decent dram. What do the folks at The Belgian Owl have to say?

The Belgian Owl Passion is a single cask whisky, specially selected by Etienne Bouillon. Each cask is unique and unveils its own character.

What else? They use unpeated distillate in pot stills and exclusively mature in 1st fill ex Bourbon American white oak (Quercus alba). What else did we receive as part of our The Belgian Owl quintet?

This set was kindly provided by the good folks at The Belgian Owl following a virtual tasting with friends scattered from Europe to India. Whilst we hope to revisit together with The Belgian Owl team to explore and understand further, our tasting was held without any specific insights or influence, hence views are our own. If you don’t want to miss a post, why not follow Whisky Lady on:

Additionally, there are the two ‘off-shoots’ with:

The Belgian Owl – Identité 46%

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The Belgian Owl has a “signature” whisky – their primary and most accessible expression of their identity – aptly named “Identité”. After sipping the surprisingly smooth and fruity “Origine”, we cracked open their 36-month-old expression….
The Belgian Owl Identité 36 months, first fill bourbon 46%
  • Colour – Light gold
  • Aroma – Sweet vanilla, quite ‘active’ and cheerful, balsam fir, grains, becoming fruitier as it opened up, powdered sugar with vanilla – think of marshmallows, a quick chase of citrus then plums, toffee, even a bit of coconut oil before shifting back to vanilla, lightly floral. a bit of talcum powder then back again to vanilla
  • Palate – Smooth with substance, a trace of butter, more of the toffee, coconut, pear, nicely fruity, wonderfully balanced, easy-drinking – quite “happy go lucky” in style
  • Finish – Light spice
  • Water – No need
Overall we really enjoyed the evolution of the nose. Whilst it settled on quite a pronounced vanilla, the journey to that point was a happy one. It was nicely rounded on the palate… the kind of whisky you enjoy sipping… suddenly realizing your glass is empty without quite knowing how! During a second tasting, we had a remarkably similar experience however the whisky had become even more perfumed, with spring flowers and a more herbal quality joining the fruitiness and vanilla. Overall this is just an easy enjoyable dram… one we were happy to explore. What more do we know? From former Caperdonich pot stills of 1898, the whisky is matured in American white oak – Quercus alba – for just three years. What do the folks at The Belgian Owl have to say? This indispensable drink is the result of the way we use our know-how to introduce the distillate to the oak wood.
  • Nose – Without any doubt, the key words here are freshness, nesses and precision. The delicate tones of roasted oak and toffee melt into the fruity signature of Belgian Owl: conference pear, muscat, crystallized angelica and apple jam. When the whisky further opens up in your glass, you’ll discover the aroma of vanilla pudding and amber banana.
  • Mouth – Surprising thanks to the perfect balance of different aromas that the nose already brought to light and that develop further in the mouth: Spanish honey, vanilla and coconut ice cream, candied ginger, apples fried in butter and plum tart.
  • Finish – A long finish that returns from the savours in the mouth to the pleasant taste of the malt distillate, leaving a fruity and woody echo of the Hesbaye region as its legacy.
What else did we receive as part of our The Belgian Owl quintet? This set was kindly provided by the good folks at The Belgian Owl, however the views here are our own. If you don’t want to miss a post, why not follow Whisky Lady on: Additionally, there are the two ‘off-shoots’ with:

The Belgian Owl – Origine Spirit 46%

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New make spirit or moonshine can be pretty harsh stuff. And yet there is something quite revealing about sharing with the world the ‘base’ or ‘origin’ of your whisky as an undisguised spirit.

We opened The Belgian Owl “Origine” curious to see what we would find…

The Belgian Owl Origine Pot Still Unaged Spirit 46%

  • Colour – Completely clear
  • Aroma – First thought – sour mash, starchy potatoes, cereals, then became increasingly fruity, a touch of saline
  • Palate – Remarkably smooth… not in the least bit harsh, quite pleasant

One lady observed how it was a bit reminiscent of a rye vodka she had tried. As for the palate? Was it harsh? Not at all!

We speculated it would make a brilliant base for a dirty martini or perhaps jazzed up with some lime and ice.

What do the folks at The Belgian Owl have to say?

  • Nose – This unaged distillate takes you to the place where it all starts: the heart of the barley that grows in the Hesbaye region. The aroma of malted barley is surrounded by the scent of freshly-baked bread and shortbread. When this Spirit Drink further opens up, you discover fruity, fresh hints of ripe pears, greegages and cidar that then melt away into an echo of newly mown grass.
  • Mouth – The initial sensation in the mouth is sweet, characterized by the beautiful oily nature of the distillate. Bit by bit, fruity notes from the orchard rise to the top.
  • Finish – Long and very well balanced in which the fruit from the orchard is in perfect harmony with a touch of licorice

Whilst a bit fanciful, we would overall agree with the description. Quite a promising start!

What else did we receive as part of our The Belgian Owl quintet?

This set was kindly provided by the good folks at The Belgian Owl – to me and our tasting companions scattered around Europe and India. However the views here are our own.

If you don’t want to miss a post, why not follow Whisky Lady on:

Additionally, there are the two ‘off-shoots’ with:

Shelter Point – Vancouver to Nurnberg

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Life sometimes brings you an interesting twist. Such as a Nurnberg based friend managing even in these strange COVID times to travel to Vancouver to see her family… offering to bring back something and my shamelessly asking for whisky! Which wasn’t so easy as it isn’t like a small craft distillery on Vancouver Island has whiskies widely available… However she is a determined lass and made the “quest” an adventure, integrated with other activities, and came home triumphant!

Have I opened it yet? Nope! I know what to expect – having enjoyed previous batches of this Vancouver Island single malt – starting with their 1st Batch in 2016), then again in 2017 and 2018. So I plan to keep this precious Canadian import tightly shut awaiting the right occasion and company!

What else do I have “waiting in the wings” from Shelter Point?

In Winnipeg I have a Shelter Point trio patiently waiting since November 2020 for a return to Canada.

And by spring 2021, it was clear I wouldn’t be back anytime soon… So I decided to add to my wee Canadian whisky collection two more expressions that are at the distillery for shipping or collection in the coming months:

This was followed by something I’m hugely looking forward to – their oldest single malt yet as Shelter Point celebrates a decade of producing sunshine in a bottle!

Who knows when my next trip to see family and friends in Canada will make sense. But in the meantime, I have some “sheer joy” in the Shelter Point Single Malt to look forward to here in Nurnberg!

PS – These whiskies made it to Germany and India respectively, for tastings held in 2024!

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