Gruesome greetings, everybody! Today is October 31, which means that the ghosts of All Hallow’s Eve will pay us a visit and demand a tribute. Against contrary believe, the best gift you can get them is neither a chocolate bar nor a bag of sweets. It is a whisky! But not just any whisky – it must be one that fully embodies the Halloween spirit: like this Penderyn 6 Years Old from Brühler Whiskyhaus named “A Nightmare Of Wales”! Thanks to the luscious Ruby Port finish, the overproof Welsh malt is both seductive and debauching. First, it lures you in with sweetness. Next, it lowers your defenses with 56.3 per cent ABV. Finally, it makes you forever its slave with a devilishly delish mix of flavors! And if you still have not succumbed to the whisky’s otherworldly allure at this point, “A Nightmare Of Wales” has one more ace up its sleeve: the tongue-in-the-cheek artwork depicting an ecstatic satyr couple. To feel its magick, all you need to do is find the right focus point and gaze at it for a while. Soon after, you will be bamboozled in a most weird and hypnotic way! This being said, I am off now … I gotta knock back another glass and stare at the label for a little longer …

by Tobi

Eye: Like a splash of blood dissolving in a glass of water.
Nose: Even at cask strength, Penderyn’s signature lightfoodedness is very apparent. The whisky dances into the nostrils, evaporating the lively scents of red apples and sweetened raspberries as well as zesty oranges and other citrus fruits. Then the aromas get thicker and fuller: candied fruits, burnt almonds, fluffy cake, and half-liquid toffee. While the bouquet is generally vivid and juicy, it also has a certain dryness – as if one would dust off the heavy curtains in an old mansion’s dark study room.
Palate: An intense fruitiness, a creamy sweetness, and a bit of a sour bite – that’s the main sensations brough forth by the six years old Welsh single malt whisky. Translated into concrete flavors, this means: crunchy cheeries, juicy blueberries, fizzy lemons, fresh strawberries, cola-flavored wine gums, whipped cream, gooey caramel, and white-choc ganache. The spirit is as alluring as a demon’s promise and as delish as a forbidden fruit!
Finish: The strong finish is predominantly shaped by Ruby Port cask in which this fingerlicking good whisky spent its final days. It is caramelly, chocolatey, and creamy. Additionally, it has some kind of a licqueur-ish quality. And last but not least, it also provides an assortment of jellied red fruits … blood-red fruits, to be precise!

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Region: Wales
Age: 6 years old
Alc. volume: 56.3 per cent
Cask: Ruby Port finish
Bottle size: 0.7 litres
# of bottles: 307
Price range: 90.00 Euro
More info: https://www.whiskyhaus.de/ (Bottler) ; https://www.penderyn.wales/ (Distillery)

*** I bought the bottle myself as a regular customer. ***