Penderyn Llandudno Distillery

The Llandudno distillery received planning approval in May 2020 and opened on 17 May 2021, marking Penderyn's first expansion beyond the original Brecon Beacons site. The chosen building — the Old Board School on Lloyd Street — was constructed in 1882 and is Grade II listed, a handsome Victorian school building with a dramatic glass-fronted entrance at the rear. Adaptive reuse of the historic school gave the distillery an architecturally distinguished setting well-suited to the premium visitor experience.

From opening the distillery performed strongly as a tourist attraction on the North Wales coast, earning 96% five-star TripAdvisor reviews and winning the Go North Wales Tourism Award in 2021. Llandudno's town-centre location and existing position as a classic seaside resort gave the distillery an immediately accessible and diverse visitor base.

The Llandudno site operates using Penderyn's proprietary Faraday still technology — the same single-pass copper pot still design used at the Brecon Beacons flagship. The key differentiation is the site's specialisation in peated whisky production. Serpent's Tears, the signature Llandudno expression, uses peated malt to introduce gentle smokiness while preserving the characteristic Penderyn lightness and fruitiness. The full Penderyn portfolio (Gold range, Dragon range, Brecon Gin, Five Vodka, Merlyn Cream Liqueur) is produced and sold through the on-site shop and shared online platform.

Serpent's Tears introduces "a gentle, refined smokiness" to the Penderyn signature style — the smoke is restrained and integrated rather than dominant, layered over the Faraday still's characteristic light, fruity new make. The result is a peated Welsh single malt with a distinctive character: delicate peat smoke alongside soft orchard fruit, vanilla, and the bright freshness that defines Penderyn as a category. The full Gold and Dragon ranges are also available, covering the Madeira, Sherry, Port, and Bourbon finish profiles.

The distillery is open Wednesday to Sunday at Lloyd Street, Llandudno, North Wales LL30 2YW. Tours and masterclasses are available. Llandudno's town-centre location makes this one of the most accessible Welsh distilleries for tourists already visiting the North Wales coast. A physical shop and online shop operate through penderyn.wales. Check the website for current tour times and booking.