Penderyn The Village, Icons of Wales – Release No.14/50 (bottled 2026), 46%

Introduction

Penderyn The Village is the 14th release in the distillery’s iconic “Icons of Wales” series – a whisky created as a tribute to Portmeirion, the dreamlike, Italian-inspired village nestled along the coast of North Wales, founded by the visionary Welsh architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis between 1925 and 1973. Bottled in 2026 to mark the centenary of Portmeirion, this whisky carries the story of a place that has enchanted guests such as Noël Coward, George Harrison, Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck – and which is forever associated with the cult classic television series The Prisoner from the 1960s.

Production Method

• Ingredients: Welsh barley distilled at Penderyn Distillery in the Rhondda Valley in South Wales – one of Europe’s most unique and compact distilleries, founded in 2000.
• Distillation Process: Penderyn employs a distinctive single pot still design with a Faraday column, producing a light and fruity new make spirit in a single distillation run – a method that differs markedly from Scottish and Irish traditions.
• Maturation: The whisky is aged in bourbon casks, which provide the foundation of vanilla, honey and soft oak, before undergoing a finishing period in Amarone casks from the Valpolicella vineyards of northern Italy.
• Special Techniques: The Amarone cask finish is the heart of this expression – the dried Corvina grapes used in Amarone della Valpolicella leave deep, concentrated fruit compounds and subtle tannins in the wood, which impart a unique, vinous richness and complexity to the whisky.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Layers of ripe fruit and oak spice interweave with hints of vanilla and cocoa, followed by delicate honey and lightly toasted oak.
• Palate: The palate unfolds luxuriously – velvety and full-bodied – with red berries, ripe plums, soft spice and a honeyed sweetness touched by floral undertones.
• Finish: A long, warming finish of candied fruit, spiced oak and a subtle trace of grape tannins – a graceful echo of fading light over the vineyards.

Serving Suggestions

• Serving Temperature: Room temperature, approximately 18–20°C, to bring out the full complexity of the Amarone finish.
• Glassware: A tulip-shaped nosing glass (such as a Glencairn or Copita) for optimal concentration of the aromas and the delicate balance between fruit and oak.
• Serving Ideas: Best enjoyed neat or with a single drop of cold spring water to open up the deeper fruit layers and floral notes. Ice is not recommended, as it can mute the subtle nuances imparted by the Amarone casks.
• Food Pairings: Well-aged cheeses such as Pecorino or mild blue cheese, dark chocolate with a high cocoa content, candied fruits, game meats in red wine-based sauces, or a classic charcuterie board with southern European wines and cured meats.

Product Specifications

• Alcohol Content: 46% ABV
• Bottle Size: 70 cl
• Country/Region of Origin: Wales, United Kingdom – Penderyn Distillery, Rhondda Valley
• Certifications/Awards: Part of the acclaimed “Icons of Wales” series (release no. 14/50) – a series that consistently receives high praise from international whisky experts and publications. Penderyn Distillery has been repeatedly honoured at the World Whiskies Awards and the International Wine & Spirit Competition.

Summary

A Unique Tasting Experience

Penderyn The Village represents something truly special within the Welsh whisky tradition: a union of North Welsh cultural heritage and northern Italian winemaking mastery in a single, extraordinary bottle that carries the flavour of a place’s soul and one hundred years of a dream.

As release number 14 in a series limited to just 50 expressions, The Village is one of those rare whiskies that is not merely a pleasurable dram, but a piece of living Welsh cultural history – and when the series is complete, these bottles will belong to an exclusive collection that can never be recreated.

Penderyn is recognised as one of Europe’s most innovative distilleries, and the Icons of Wales series is the crown jewel of the distillery’s portfolio – a testament to the craftsmanship and vision that consistently places Welsh whisky on the world map.

Recognition from Connoisseurs

Even before its official launch, The Village has been celebrated by whisky enthusiasts and collectors around the world who follow the Icons of Wales series with great passion – a series that time and again delivers expressions that exceed expectations.

Choosing a bottle from the Icons of Wales series means joining a community of dedicated whisky connoisseurs who have committed to appreciating the very best of Welsh distilling artistry – and The Village is a natural next chapter in that story.

International whisky publications and critics have repeatedly highlighted Penderyn’s Amarone finish expressions as exemplary demonstrations of how vinous cask finishing can elevate a whisky to new flavour heights without compromising the integrity of the distillate.

From Penderyn to You

With The Village, Penderyn has not simply created a whisky – they have given us access to a piece of Wales, to the magical world of Portmeirion and to one hundred years of architectural dreams, distilled and poured into a bottle as a gift to all who appreciate beauty and craftsmanship.

There is something deeply personal and sincere about a distillery that draws upon its homeland’s culture and history to create something that transcends the merely alcoholic – Penderyn invites us into a story we all want to be part of.

Let The Village become part of your collection, your table or your next special moment – and discover how Welsh whisky artistry and Italian wine heritage merge in a glass that tells its own unforgettable story.