Penderyn Madeira
Wales has a long history of distilled beverages, but Penderyn is the country’s only current distillery. Founded in 2004, the distillery lays nestled in the Breacon Beacons and produces the world’s only Welsh single malt. One of the world’s smallest distilleries, Penderyn’s signature single malt, the Madeira won gold medals at the 2012 and 2013 International Whisky Competition. Can this new whisky on the block live up to the legends imbued in the history of the landscape?
Mackmyra First Edition
Mackmyra was born of eight Swedish friends who loved good whisky. The Mackmyra First Edition, as the name implies, was their first wide release in 2008. The distillery exemplifies what we love to see foreign (i.e. non-Scottish) distillers do: embrace their own locality and make great whisky from what lays around them instead of seeking to emulate scotch. They continue to grow in output and accolades, but this first try is enough to give whisky drinkers ample notice.
Kilchoman “Machir Bay”
Kilchoman (pronounced Kilhoman) is one of the newest and smallest distilleries in Scotland, opening its doors in 2005. It currently produces a 3 and 5 year single malt, though they plan to release 8 year (2014), 10 year (2016) and 12 year (2018) bottlings. By what we taste from the junior varsity so far, age should make a good thing even better for Kilchoman’s future issues. The offerings are bottled yearly, quantified by flavor profile and maturation. Future releases of the Machir Bay (and others) will be re-released in more mature versions.