Whisky Launch Revives Tradition

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/3520409.stm



Penderyn revives a Welsh whisky-making tradition

A new drink is being launched on St David's Day to rival famous Scottish and Irish brands, more than 100 years after whisky-making ended in Wales.

Small independent firm the Welsh Whisky Company, based in the Brecon Beacons, is launching Penderyn single malt into a multi-million pound market dominated by drinks from Scotland and Ireland.

Wales once had a vibrant whisky industry which declined during the Welsh religious revival and temperance movement of the 19th Century.

The last commercial distillery, at Bala, north Wales, closed at the end of the 1800s.

But the tradition is being revived with the launch of the malt on Wales' national day - 1 March.

First bottles

The Welsh Whisky Company employs 15 people who will produce 75,000 bottles of the whisky a year at the Gwalia Distillery at the village of Penderyn in the Brecon Beacons National Park.

But just 6,000 bottles of the whisky will initially be available when it is released for sale on Monday.

The first bottles to be sold will be four years old, to be followed by older releases in subsequent years.

The drink is being marketed as "distinctively different" from scotch and is made from Welsh spring water, matured in bourbon casks and finished in Madeira barrels.

Much as I love and respect the BBC (my ex employers) the story posted in the above link isn't quite accurate. There has always been Welsh Whisky (Swn Y Môr). This is the first Single Malt to be produced recently.

Ooooh, you SOOK. Keeping your options open for when the French run you out of town?

Thanks for the accurate correction, Welsh Guy!
Nice to see ya about!
Hope the house is going well!

Cheers

Most of the Whisky made in Wales over the last 200 years has had to be made underground as the British government placed a ban on its production other than in Scotland and Ireland. (law changed in last few years)
Many Welsh families that made Welsh Whisky emigrated to enable them to continue with their trade. The most widely know of these families is the Daniels.
who went to America.

Now one of the widdest world exports "Jack Daniels"

Iechyd da
Jaxom

Good Point Jaxom, I'd forgotten that one, But you can also add Southern Comfort to the list (Started by Jack Daniels' brother)