Penderyn’s Distillery, Llandudno, North Wales

Penderyn is developing a new distillery and visitor centre in north Wales, UK. The new distillery will be Penderyn’s second facility in Wales.

The estimated investment in the project is £5m ($6.37m) and the distillery is expected to be completed in 2021. The company is planning to open the new distillery to the public in the second quarter of 2021.

The plans for the Llandudno Distillery were unveiled in July 2018. The project cleared the committee stage and received full planning permission from Conwy Council in May 2020.

Penderyn’s Distillery location and details

The new distillery will be located at the former Old Board School that currently serves as council offices in Lloyd Street, Llandudno, Wales.

Penderyn’s distillery location will also include a visitor centre and parking area with a capacity for 53 vehicles. The new distillery will introduce a diverse range of single malt whiskies to its customers while contributing towards the tourism of Wales.

Distillation process employed by Penderyn Distillery

The company’s whisky still, a single copper-pot, was designed by Dr David Faraday. The stills are charged using malted barley wash. The liquid is heated by the steam and the resulting vapour rises into a copper column which lies above the still.

The copper column includes numerous perforated plates and the vapour gets condensed on the first plate before it returns to the still.

The distilling process is continued till the vapour reaches the second plate and then it evaporates to return back to the still. Every step of the distilling process is designed to refine the spirit and make it smoother and softer.

The spirit is collected from the seventh plate on the second column and transferred drop by drop via pipe into the spirit safe glass. The distilling process helps in removing unwanted chemical compounds and delivers depth and finesse to the spirit.

The distilling company utilises charred oak barrels for ageing the whisky. The oak barrels are charred before filling, while the charcoal serves as a filter to help remove unwanted chemical compounds.

Funding

Welsh Government committed to provide funding for the distillery project. The funding package of £1.4m ($1.78m) is being provided under the Food Business Investment Scheme (FBIS) and Tourism Investment Support Scheme (TISS).

Penderyn’s product portfolio

The product portfolio in Dragon single mast whisky range includes Legend, Myth, and Celt while the Gold range consists of Madeira, Peated, Portwood, Rich Oak and Sherrywood. The company also offers single cask whiskies and limited editions. The rum category includes white rum and brown rum.

Penderyn’s offering in the gin category includes Brecon Special Reserve Gin and Brecon Botanicals Gin.

The distillery launched Brecon FIVE Vodka in October 2007. In September 2019, the company launched three new flavoured gins namely Chocolate Orange, Rhubarb & Cranberry and Rose Petal.

Marketing commentary on Penderyn Distillery

Penderyn Distillery was established as a Welsh Whisky Company in 2000. It began its first production line in 2004. The distilling company procured Faraday replica still and pot stills in March 2013.

The distillery won three gold awards at the International Wine & Spirit Competition held in August 2019. Its Penderyn Portwood whisky was awarded the gold medal in the Malt: Barrel Finished category at the Whiskies of the World Awards in September 2019.

The company received two silver medals, one each for Siddiqui White Rum and Siddiqui Dark Rum, at the Spirits Business Rum Masters competition in the first quarter of 2020.

Penderyn is planning to open its third distillery in Swansea by 2023. The company already has a distillery in the village of Penderyn in South Wales.