Aber Falls, the first distillery to produce Whisky in North Wales in over a century, has released its inaugural single malt.
The new expression uses 100% Welsh malted barley and rock-filtered water from the Aber Falls waterfall. The distillery, owned by Halewood Artisanal Spirits, also produces Welsh gin and vodka.
This inaugural release was matured along the coastline of North Wales in a combination of wooden barrels, including American and European oak, Spanish Sherry, virgin oak and orange wine casks, the distillery’s setting offers a “remote microclimate, creating the ideal conditions to influence the character of the whisky”.
Dr Kirstie McCallum, who joined Halewood as master blender this year, said: “One of the big advantages of producing whisky in Wales is having more scope to experiment with a variety of casks, and our wood strategy has also been a key contributor to the finished liquid, which we’re extremely pleased with for a three-year-old bottling.”
Designed to capture the ‘spirit of North Wales’, the expression is said to demonstrate the distillery’s distinctive character, with James Wright, managing director at Aber Falls saying the whisky “brings together the very best Welsh ingredients”.
Bottled at 46% ABV, the whisky has hints of tropical fruit and a nose of sweet hay and cut grass. The palate brings notes of dark chocolate and golden syrup followed by cream and vanilla on the finish.
For more information, go to aberfallsdistillery.com