Women in Whisky (part 3)

There is only one Whisky distillery in Wales and there is only one woman who runs the still there. I’m talking about Gillian Macdonald, Whisky Distiller, of the Penderyn Distillery, which produces Penderyn Single Malt Welsh Whisky.

Women are vastly under-represented in Whisky making , but Gillian and a few others are slowly eking their way into prominence in this traditionally male field.

Penderyn has been distilling only since September 14, 2000, but it has developed an outsize following of whisky drinkers who clamber for its delicate flavor.

Penderyn is distilled by Gillian, under the direction of Master Distiller Jim Swan, using some very unusual equipment. (Jim also worked with Rachell Barrie of Glemorangie/Ardbeg, early in her career while she was at the Scotch Whisky Research Institute.) At Penderyn they use a combination pot and column still, developed by Dr. David Faraday at the University of Surrey in Guildford. The still was originally developed for a company known as Welsh Whisky Ltd. (also known as Welsh Distillers Ltd and Brecon Brewery) which was surreptitiously bottling Scottish whisky, filtered through herbs and calling it Welsh, by origin.

This company folded after various fraud charges, fines and jail terms were imposed for falsifying the “indicated country of origin” and evading duty fees. This attempt at distilling in Wales, in the 70s was the first since the turn of the 20th century when the last Welsh distillery, Frongoch, fell silent.

Penderyn Spirit comes off the still at an industry high of 92%ABV and is reduced to 63.4% before casking.

The Penderyn distillate flows at a glacial pace, producing only one cask per day and sometimes a second at night, if they run a night shift.

The still is rather small and looks like a squatty copper kettle cylinder with a thin elongated neck, going straight

p. It has been described as a combination of a pot eau-de-vie* still with a column still on top. The lower copper pot holds 2,500 liters and the copper column above has 6 plates, but it, in turn, is connected to a rectifier with

18 plates and a pumping system that allows the spirit to be collected at the base of the second column and returned to the first column, for further distillation – a cyclic system. This amount of control is unheard of in any other still configuration and also means that fore shots and feints are very low in volume during a spirit run.

The wash for the still is produced off-premises, using Regina barley, at the Brains Brewery in Cardiff, the Welsh capital, and is introduced to the still at 8%ABV, finishing off at over 90%ABV in one run. Most Pot still processes that use a wash still and a spirit still finish off their run at about 70-75% ABV.

*Eau-de-vie stills are usually rather small, perhaps1-5 gallons and used to distill fermented fruit brandy.

How did Gillian, or indeed anyone, learn how to operate such a seemingly complex system?

By a fair amount of trial and error, it turns out. “Originally, with the guidance of Dr Jim Swan at the helm , who probably has the best knowledge of new make spirit in the industry, we could prefect the draw and cut off points of the spirit from the still to achieve a consistent method.,” says Gillian. “This is done primarily by nosing and tasting of the spirit through the full run of the distillation.”

How does this distilling process affect the flavor of the spirit?

“The column element of this still means we can draw our spirit off at a much higher level of alcohol than other stills with different designs. Our product cut is from 92% alcohol to 82% alcohol, we, as the rest of the industry, then class the lower volume of the run as the feints– this is the point where the less desirable flavours come off. The ‘typical’ Scotch or Irish setup means the product draw does not start until the mid 70’s% and some much lower. We are on a completely different part of the % scale and as a result have a different style of spirit – lighter certainly than Scotch and Irish, sweet and very attractive. We then fill in to different types of casks to add further complexity of flavour to the already distinctive spirit. What it definitely has given us is what the company set out to do, create a Welsh style of whisky.”

Gillian has been with Penderyn since 2004. After graduating from Cardiff University with a BSc in Chemistry with Industrial Experience, Gillian took a year off after graduation to travel round the world before joining the Penderyn group, but her education is not finished in her view. She still wants to go back to school to get further training in brewing and distilling and the title, Master Distiller.

What kind of working relationship do you have with Master Distiller, Jim Swan?

“Jim and I meet each month for at least 2 days to put together the final whisky batches that will be bottled and are in contact, in the interim period, as needed via email and phone (as he is often in far flung locations round

the world). He is a fantastic asset to the company and has really been the driving force behind the flavour profile of Penderyn.”

When considering new expressions of Penderyn, what is the process you go through to achieve your goals of creating new flavor profiles?

“We have a number of considerations, at present revolving round cask type and different combinations of casks. Sometimes new expressions are planned sometimes they just evolve.”

What do you see as trends in both the distilling and appreciation of whisky by women?

“I have had the opportunity to attend quite a few whisky shows in my time at Penderyn and have noticed firstly, the growing number of younger people attending the shows (under 45’s both male and female) and secondly, a slight increase in the number of women attending, not just as the designated drivers but for the whisky itself - a refreshing change. When I meet with these women, hopefully I inspire them to be open to the world of single malt whisky and to have a bit of fun along the way”

The distillery is located in the breathtakingly beautiful Brecon Beacons National Park and draws water from a deep underground spring for its process water. After distillation the spirit is placed into casks from either Buffalo

Trace or Evan Williams. Evan Williams, one of the founders of the American Bourbon industry, came from Wales as did Jack Daniels, and Elijah Craig.

Wales is located on the western coast of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its East with the Irish Seas to its West.

During its early years of maturation, the new make spirit is regularly nosed and scored. Then, when the time is judged to be right, the whisky is re-casked into ex-Madeira barrels.

Madeira is a sweet, complex wine capable of aging for over 100 years. Slowly the spirit gains subtlety and complexity from these casks. The monitoring of the distillation process is a meticulous job. Gillian must be alert to any changes taking place. She undertakes numerous checks to ensure that the quality and flavor of the new spirit being distilled is at its peak.

How does one sharpen their your nosing and tasting skills?

“Repetition, repetition, repetition. You need a fairly good nose and palate to start with but you can train your brain to recognize, recall and describe.”

Penderyn is sold on a very limited basis but can be found for about $70 in the US. Penderyn Single Malt Welsh Whisky (No Age Statement) is bottled at 46%ABV and distillery notes say: “Penderyn single malt whisky has an exceptionally balanced taste with an aroma of cream toffee and fleetingly of fresh new leather. Then, as the initial sensations fade, the finishing notes of tropical fruits, raisins and vanilla emerge strongly and are long lasting.” There are three other single malt whiskies: Penderyn Sherrywood Single Malt Welsh Whisky, Penderyn Peated Single Malt Welsh Whisky and Penderyn Limited Edition Single Cask Whisky.

Following the success of the Penderyn Port Wood Limited single cask whisky edition launched in August 2009, and named as ‘European Single Cask Whisky of the Year’ in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible, Penderyn launched their new Penderyn Port Wood Edition, Cask PT26. This is a limited edition of 216 bottles at cask strength of 60.6% ABV and is presented in a hand made oak box with the label of each whisky bottle personally signed by Master Distiller, Dr Jim Swan.

They also produce Brecon Gin, Five Vodka and Merlyn Cream Liqueur, “a combination of cream and the finest Welsh malted barley spirit from the Penderyn Distillery.”

With such an outstanding line of adult beverages, what’s on the horizon for Penderyn?

“We are planning on maintaining the current quality of all our products and certainly looking to increase the volume of Penderyn’s availability by distilling more spirit – moving to the capacity on our current still. The Penderyn single cask range will be expanded over the coming years also as Jim and I come across ‘cracking’ [outstanding] casks.”

What has been your proudest moment or greatest accomplishment so far in the creation of the Penderyn spirit?

“Seeing the launch of the Penderyn back in 2004 was a great moment especially for all those who had started the company off and put in all the hard slog of getting the company off and running – a real moment in time that Wales should be proud of.

“Since then there have been many moments where Penderyn has been recognized worldwide as a quality Welsh single malt whisky and gained great reviews. At shows when people try it for the first time is always a satisfying moment and you know you are all working hard for a real purpose.”