Welsh whisky
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Welsh whisky (Welsh: Wisgi Cymreig; alternative forms: wysgi, chwisgi) is a distilled spirit made in Wales.
Like the other Celtic nations, Wales has a long history of spirit distillation. It started life as far back as the 4th century, with a man known as Reaullt Hir distilling on Bardsey Island off the North Wales coast. The ingredients of this early spirit, known universally as “aqua-vitae” or gwirod in the Welsh language, was a mix of barley, yeast and honey distilled to make a basic raw spirit.
In more recent times, there was a small commercial distillery at Dale, Pembrokeshire, opened in 1705. This distillery was owned by Evan Williams's family who later emigrated to the USA and helped found the Kentucky whiskey industry. A number of high quality bourbons are sold under the Evan Williams name to this day.
In the 19th century a whisky distillery operated at Frongoch near Bala, Gwynedd in North Wales under the chairmanship of a Mr Robert Willis. In the late 1800s, the “chapel building mania” in Wales with its associated temperance movement, combined with the unfortunate death of Mr Willis under the wheels of a horse cart, conspired to put an end to distillation in Wales for more than 100 years.
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[edit] Modern Welsh whisky
In the 1990s, the Brecon Brewery Limited produced Swn Y Mor (or Sound of the Sea) which claimed to be a Welsh product containing a Welsh distilled grain spirit, but the source of the spirit was a mystery because at the time there was no distillery in Wales.
In 2000, Penderyn Distillery started production of the Penderyn single malt Welsh whisky. The first bottles went on sale on 1 March 2004, Saint David's Day. It is now sold throughout the world. Penderyn is being made from barley malt supplied by the well-known Cardiff-based brewer SA Brain, and is said to be specially distilled to produce a mellow, rounded taste that is lighter than most Scotch whiskies, and matures more quickly. Pre-tastings of Penderyn have impressed malt whisky experts, including the world-renowned taster Dr Jim Swan.
He says: "The distillation and maturation process at Penderyn produces a whisky that has a smooth, unique style and is easy to drink, delicate and full of flavour." [1]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- The Welsh Whisky Company
- The Scotch Blog – News and comment on the whisky industry
