Distilling in Wales, like Scotland, has been around for hundreds of years. Although, unlike Scotland, it died out at the beginning of the 20th Century when the last notable distillery, built by R.J. Lloyd Price in 1887 at Frongoch, was closed in 2010. Historically Welsh whisky was made in the same way as Scotch using a double distillation method rather than the Irish method of triple distillation. The style of whisky these days, however, is quite different with single, double and triple distillation methods used.
In the new world of whisky making, Welsh whisky isn’t that new. Penderyn distillery, which uses a Faraday still with a single distillation method, was built in 2000 and will celebrate its 25th birthday this year. The Aber Falls distillery in Abergwyngregyn, Gwynedd, started production of it’s triple distilled whisky in 2017 and released its first whisky in 2021. There are also much newer distilleries such as, In The Welsh Wind and Coles distilleries built after the Covid-19 pandemic, and Swansea Copperworks which opened in 2023.
With the number of distilleries in Wales growing, the distilleries grouped together to try and gain a geographical indication (GI). This is a legal right that protects the name of a product that is linked to a specific geographical area, and following in the footsteps of Scotch whisky, which has had a GI for many years, Welsh whisky was granted their own in 2024. English whisky has applied for one, but it has not been granted yet.
With investment in Welsh whisky distilling increasing and having obtained a GI, Welsh whisky is naturally growing in popularity. Arguably, Aber Falls, which is set on the edge of Snowdonia in a stunning location next to the sea, has become the better known of the Welsh distilleries. Being only 90 minutes from Liverpool and 2 ½ hours from Birmingham, it is easier to visit than its Scottish counterparts. The distillery was built by Halewood Artisanal Spirits, which have a strong history of distilling all types of spirits at their distilleries in Edinburgh and Blackpool, but it is whisky that they are most known for.
Aber Falls is stocked by most specialist whisky retailers and is also readily available on Amazon and in Tesco supermarkets. It offers customers a high-quality, smooth triple distilled whisky at a very affordable price. Maturing well in a mixture of casks including ex bourbon, ex sherry and ex red wine casks, it is bottled at a relatively young age and yet still gives a rich smooth whisky. With a bottle of Aber Falls costing under £25, it would be easy to think that the quality of the whisky falls short of other more expensive single malt whiskies but this is far from the truth. Aber Falls is frequently ranked as better than many of its competitors and this was borne out by its winning a gold medal at the International Spirits Challenge in 2024.
Now, although one may not consider collecting Aber Falls bottles, their casks might well be worth thinking about. Aber Falls sell new casks directly to customers at a reasonable price, but for a bargain, at the moment Cask Trade have a sale on Aber Falls casks which are about to turn three years old this year. Cask ownership interest can be registered here.
For those who want to get their hands on a bottle to try first, you can find more information below:
