Penderyn Llandudno: Serpent’s Tears, History and Visitor Guide
Penderyn Llandudno is a separate physical distillery in a former school on Lloyd Street, not another name for the original Penderyn village site. The restored building brought the producer’s whisky story to North Wales in 2021.
It now has a documented site-specific whisky: Serpent’s Tears, launched in July 2025. Other Penderyn bottles sold or presented here must still be checked individually before being labelled as distilled at Llandudno.
Penderyn Llandudno at a glance
Key fact | Verified detail |
|---|---|
Location | Former board school, Lloyd Street, Llandudno, LL30 2YG |
Operator | Penderyn / The Welsh Whisky Company |
Shop and site opening | 17 May 2021; tours followed in June |
Building | Restored school dating from 1881 |
Production distinction | Peated barley in a Faraday-still programme |
First named site whisky | Serpent’s Tears, launched 19 July 2025 |
Serpent’s Tears strength | 46% ABV; 70 cl |
Visiting | Bookable tours and masterclasses |
Research checked 26 October 2026. Product availability, visitor arrangements and future plans can change.
In this guide
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A former school becomes a North Wales distillery
Penderyn announced the opening of its Llandudno shop and distillery on 17 May 2021, with tours planned from June. The building’s earlier use as a school gives this site a different character from the original distillery in the village of Penderyn.
The restoration retained features of the old school, including its timber, floors and decorative fabric. It created a production and visitor setting rather than simply a branded shop detached from distilling.
The next major whisky milestone came on 19 July 2025, when the producer launched Serpent’s Tears as its first North Wales whisky. That announcement gives the bottle a clear Llandudno identity.
People and ownership
The operator is Penderyn, part of The Welsh Whisky Company. Its Wales-wide history connects Llandudno with the original village distillery and the later Swansea Copperworks site, but each remains a distinct physical location.
This guide focuses on the Llandudno operation. Group-wide awards, releases and ownership history are not used to erase the differences between the three sites.
Production and maturation
The producer describes Llandudno as introducing peated barley into its Faraday-still production approach. That matters because smoky character can come from different sources: using peated malt is not the same as finishing an unpeated whisky in a cask that previously held peated spirit.
Serpent’s Tears provides the clearest documented connection between the local production and a finished expression. The official product listing describes it as lightly peated. No unverified capacity, fermentation time or exact cask proportion is added here.
Bottles and release status
Only the expressly documented Llandudno release is treated as site-distilled whisky. Brand-wide examples remain labelled as such.
Expression or category | Documented position |
|---|---|
Penderyn Serpent’s Tears, Llandudno Peated | 46% ABV; 70 cl; launched July 2025 |
Penderyn NINE | Brand-wide example; 9 years; 43% ABV; 70 cl |
Penderyn Serpent’s Tears, Llandudno Peated
The first named whisky from the North Wales site. The producer presents a combination of fruit and gentle smoke; these are producer descriptions, not a personal review.
Penderyn NINE
The 2026 release associated with Ian Rush has a tawny-port influence. Its age cannot be reconciled with all spirit having been distilled at a site that opened in 2021, so it is not assigned to Llandudno simply because of a local launch connection.
Milestones and recognition
Opening a new distillery in a restored school and releasing Serpent’s Tears are the central site milestones. Tourism recognition concerns the venue, while whisky competition results belong to the specifically named bottle and event. This guide does not assign Penderyn’s entire award history to the new site.
Visiting Penderyn Llandudno
The producer offers tours and masterclasses at Lloyd Street. Its current general visiting information lists Llandudno opening Wednesday to Sunday, while older tourism listings may show broader schedules. The live booking calendar should decide a particular trip.
Confirm the entrance, parking, accessibility and tasting restrictions when booking. The restored school is a working production site as well as a visitor attraction, so a shop opening time does not necessarily mean a tour is available at that moment.
Explore related distillery guides
These existing Whisky Clan guides offer regional or production context. They are not all immediate neighbours, and their inclusion does not imply current public tour availability.
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Frequently asked questions
Is this the original Penderyn distillery?
No. Llandudno is a separate site that opened in 2021, in addition to the original Penderyn village distillery.
Which whisky is confirmed as Llandudno-made?
The producer launched Serpent’s Tears as the first North Wales whisky in July 2025.
Is every Penderyn bottle sold here distilled here?
No. Brand-wide stock and launch events do not establish a bottle’s production site.
When can I visit?
Use the live Lloyd Street booking calendar. The current general schedule lists Wednesday to Sunday, subject to change.
Sources and photograph credits
External references are grouped here so the guide and related Whisky Clan articles can be read first. Sources were reviewed on 26 October 2026. Producer tasting descriptions are attributed summaries, not independent Whisky Clan reviews.
ArcherHumphryes, Penderyn Llandudno project photograph. No open image-reuse licence is asserted.
Penderyn, official Serpent’s Tears product photograph. No open image-reuse licence is asserted.
About the author
 | Filip Janczak Storyteller, drinker and explorer of all things whisky. Read more about the person behind Whisky Clan and explore additional reviews and distillery guides. |
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