Aber Falls Welsh Whisky

Scotch Whisky may be the most known amongst whisky enthusiasts, but did you know other regions of the UK also produce high quality cask whisky? Learn more about Welsh Whisky from Aber Falls.

Colin Hampden-White
Keeper of the Quaich

You’ve heard about scotch whisky casks, but how about Welsh? Keeper of the Quaich, Colin Hampden-White, talks us through the history of Welsh whisky and what owning a cask of Aber Falls could mean for interested investors. 

The History of Welsh Whisky 

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 - rather than the Irish method of triple distillation, they used a double distillation method. The style of whisky now 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 was built in 2000 and will celebrate its 25th birthday this year. This distillery uses a Faraday still with a single distillation method. The Aber Falls distillery in Abergwyngregyn, Gwynedd, started production in 2017 and released its first whisky in 2021. Aber Falls uses a triple distillation method giving a very smooth spirit. There are much newer distilleries with In The Welsh Wind and Coles distilleries built after the Covid-19 pandemic, And Swansea Copperworks opened in 2023.  

Welsh Whisky Gains Geographical Indication 

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 in 2023 Welsh whisky gained a GI. Scotch whisky has had a GI for many years, and English whisky has applied for one, but it has not been granted yet. 

Aber Falls Welsh Whisky 

As a result of interest in Welsh whisky distilling growing and having obtained a GI, the popularity of Welsh whisky has notably increased. Arguably, Aber Falls has become the better known of the Welsh distilleries. Set on the edge of Snowdonia next to the sea, Aber Falls is a stunning place to visit. Being only 90 minutes from Liverpool and 2 ½ hours from Birmingham, the distillery is easier to visit than its Scottish counterparts. The distillery was built by Halewood Artisanal Spirits, which have a strong history of distilling with distilleries in Edinburgh and Blackpool. They make all types of spirit, but whisky is what they are most known for. 

As well as being stocked by most specialist whisky retailers, Aber Falls is readily available on Amazon and in Tesco supermarkets. The distillery offers customers a whisky which has quality at a very affordable price. The whisky, being triple distilled, is very smooth and its purity very good. It matures 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 bottles a bottle of Aber Falls costing only £22, it would be easy to think that the quality of the whisky falls short of other more expensive single malt whiskies. This is far from the truth, in blind tastings, Aber Falls is frequently ranked as better than many of its competitors and this borne out by winning a gold medal at the International Spirits Challenge in 2024. 

Welsh Whisky Cask Ownership 

All of these attributes make the future prospects of Aber Falls whisky very good. However, their core product is a young, well priced whisky which is readily available. With this in mind, finding older stocks of Aber Falls in the future is going to be difficult. Almost all their own stocks are used to supply the demand they have created and therefore very few casks are laid down for long term maturation with a view to bottle much later. In the future, it is possible that whisky drinkers would welcome the opportunity to try Aber Falls at,10, 12 or even 15 years old. With a climate which is very similar to Scotland, and having the same GI protections, the independent bottling market may take interest in sourcing older, less frequently available, casks of Aber Falls. 

This makes finding a cask for sale now an interesting prospect. Casks can be bought from the distillery themselves. They sell a small number of casks directly to the public, which are mostly virgin oak (fresh or new oak). Cask Trade have ex-bourbon barrels, which have a strong reputation for maturing whisky.   

These casks would suit a portfolio of whisky which is looking for further diversification, they are also perfect for someone from Wales or with Welsh heritage to hold for an enjoyable longer term investment. Casks of older Aber Falls will be rare, and I would expect them to be part of a portfolio for at least eight years. At 10 years old, they will certainly be very unusual casks in the market. 

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