Penderyn Copperopolis - Icons of Wales No 12

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 46% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

As the twelfth release in the Icons of Wales Collection, Copperopolis combines Welsh single malt with a finish in sweet red wine casks. This limited release appeared in 2025, bottled at 46% ABV in a 0.7-litre bottle. The red wine finish complements its floral and fruity character with dried fruit, caramel, gentle oak spice and cocoa.

The name recalls Swansea’s former importance in copper processing: from 1720, the area accounted for 50% of global and 90% of British copper smelting. Penderyn’s third distillery now occupies the restored powerhouse of the former Hafod Morfa Copperworks. Copperopolis therefore honours both the city’s industrial history and the distillery’s historic location.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: The nose is floral and fruity, with orange blossom, peach, cherry and orange peel. Vanilla and honey add sweetness, accompanied by gentle dried-fruit spice.
• Palate: The palate has a rich mouthfeel with pronounced caramel and honey sweetness. Raisins and figs shape the dried-fruit character, while gentle oak spice provides balance.
• Finish: Dry oak notes and citrus sweetness linger on the finish, accompanied by a delicate hint of cocoa.

Distillery/Bottler:

Penderyn’s story began in the late 1990s with the idea of establishing a whisky distillery in Wales for the first time in more than a century. A copper still designed by Dr David Faraday was installed in 2000 in the village of Penderyn, on the edge of the Brecon Beacons; the first Penderyn whisky was launched on St David’s Day in 2004. The Faraday system combines a single pot still with copper columns and produces spirit at up to 92% ABV. Since 2014, Scottish-inspired Lantern Stills have broadened the distillery’s technical capabilities.

Following its original site near the Brecon Beacons, Penderyn opened a second distillery in Llandudno in 2021 and a third in Swansea in 2023. The Swansea Copperworks Distillery was established on the historic Hafod Morfa Copperworks site and uses water from the Dan-yr-Ogof caves. With Copperopolis, Penderyn directly celebrates this distinctive location as part of the Icons of Wales Collection.

Facts: