With tomorrow marking the feast day of Wales' patron saint, db looks at some of the beers, wines and whiskies you should mark the occasion with.
Penderyn The Headliner
Welsh distillery Penderyn won two Gold medals at
last year's The Spirits Business World Whisky Masters.
Among the bottles to gain a glorious gold was The Headliner, which is the ninth in the distillery's Icons of Wales series and pays homage to how David Lloyd George, the UK's only native Welsh-speaking Prime Minister, accidentally created the premium whisky industry. In 1915, when Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lloyd George pushed through the Immature Spirits Act which created opening hours in an effort to limit how much workers were drinking, and clamped down on distilleries which released their whiskies early. The 'three years and one day' rule implemented benefited distillers who already aged their spirits in oak for prolonged period of time.
Called 'The Headliner' as a nod to the vast amount of newspaper coverage (good and bad) which Lloyd George generated during his time in Westminster, tasting notes for this expression of Penderyn include red berries, nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper, salted caramel and honey. A drop of that with a Welsh cake would certainly be something.
RRP:
£55 for a 70cl bottle
Hensol Castle Distillery Welsh Dry Gin
Located in the cellars of the 400-year-old Hensol Castle in Pontyclun, this distillery produces a plethora of spirits, but the flagship is its Welsh Dry Gin.
Copper pot-distilled, as is traditional for London Dry Gin, the wildflowers which give it its complex botanical profile are sourced from the castle grounds. The suggested serving is in a Gin Sling, with 50ml of gin, 20ml of lemon juice, 15ml of sugar syrup, two dashes of bitters and topped up with tonic.
RRP:
£32 for a 70cl bottle
Brains Reverend James
Based on an original recipe from 1885, this 4.5% ABV ale takes its name from the Reverend James Buckley, the Archdeacon of Llandaff who married into the Llanelli's Child family, inheriting the family brewery upon the death of his father-in-law Henry Child in 1824.
In 1991, the brewery would produce its first batch of Reverend James in tribute to the clerical connection – five years later, Cardiff's SA Brain & Company acquired it, and continues to brew the beer to this day. Brains fittingly calls James the "saver of souls and satisfier of thirsts".
RRP:
£29.99 for a case of 12 50cl bottles
Tiny Rebel Clwb Tropica
Something of a departure from the Brains ale, this Tropical IPA from Newport's Tiny Rebel combines Citra, Simcoe and Mosaic hops with a barley and wheat base.
The addition of pineapple, mango, peach and passionfruit to the 5% ABV beer helps it not so much lean as leap into a tropical fruit profile – not necessarily what one might associate with the traditions of Welsh brewing, but different strokes for different folks. First brewed as a one off in 2016, it has become a bestseller, and not just among
Wham fans.
RRP:
£30.70 for a case of 16 cans
White Castle Pinot Noir Précoce Reserve 2022
When you think of the Pinot Noir regions of the world, Burgundy, Central Otago and Oregon are the ones which probably spring to mind, but probably not Abergavenny. However, in what is a sign of the growing quality of British-grown wine, White Castle is proving that it isn't just the south coast of England which deserves attention for its grapes.
Estate co-owner and winemaker Robb Merchant,
who was awarded an MBE in late 2023 for services to viticulture, fermented the Pinot Noir juice in stainless steel before moving it to oak where it would spend a stint of time, gaining flavours of smoke and vanilla on top of its ripe red fruit profile. It could be a suitable match for any number of dishes, though perhaps the most appropriate for 1 March would be a roasted joint of Gower Salt Marsh lamb, side of leeks optional.
RRP:
£36 for a 75cl bottle
Hebron Vineyard Natural Amphora Rondo 2021
Another area where the Welsh industry is further ahead than you may realise is through the adoption of regenerative viticultural practices.
Hebron Vineyard in Carmarthenshire became the first vineyard in the UK to receive regenerative certification from A Greener World last summer, and it this belief in pushing the boundaries is also reflected in its wines.
This particular wine was made according to non-interventionist principles, with the Rondo spending 11 months in amphorae, and half of it aged in American oak. It's a spontaneously fermented, unfiltered, 'natural' wine style which might not appeal to every wine drinker, but it is a testament to the diversity of styles Welsh wine producers are capable of. 2021 is also a vintage Welsh rugby fans will remember as the last time the country won the Six Nations – it has certainly been a long four years.
RRP:
£27 for a 75cl bottle
Ancre Hill Blanc de Noirs
Made from 100% Pinot Noir, this non-vintage traditional method sparkling hails from Monmouthshire.
Ancre Hill is Demeter certified Biodynamic and Organic and produces just 30,000 bottles a year, making it among the most boutique of boutique producers. This fizz spent more than three years on its lees after a 12 month élevage in concrete egg and stainless steel. Notes of apple skin and Brazil nut are married with ripe apple and citrus, with the lack of dosage making for a lean, clean fizz. Tidy.
RRP:
£42 for a 75cl bottle
