Whisky of the Week

Bain’s Cape Mountain Single Grain Whisky

On 09/12/2022

We managed to get away for a few days to the beautiful Kruger National Park. The whisky I packed from this trip is the Proudly South African Bain’s Cape Mountain single grain whisky. An award-winning singe grain whisky from the James Sedgwick distillery in Wellington, South Africa.

There is very little as beautiful as an African sunset over the Kruger National Park. And with a bit of the Bains single grain whisky in my glass, what is better?

Bain’s Cape Mountain whisky is a single grain produced in column stills and double-matured. The whisky spends 3 years in ex-Bourbon casks and is then re-vatted for a further two years in a fresh set of casks. This whisky is inspired by the Bain’s Kloof Pass and its natural beauty.

The whisky from the distillery pays tribute to Andrew Geddes Bain. He was the pioneering pass builder who planned and built Bain’s Kloof Pass. The Pass connected Wellington to the inland Cape areas and is one of the most scenic routes in the Cape.

It flows past pine forests and areas rich in fynbos and Protea species. Bainskloof, situated in the Cape’s Floral Kingdom, is unique in that it has the highest ratio of plant species per land area in the world – a total of 8 600 species, of which 5 800 is endemic to the area.

The Bains Kloof’s fauna includes a selection of 182 bird species as well as jackals, leopards, honey badgers, endangered frogs and some unique fish swimming in the streams. Bain’s Cape Mountain whisky, has been announced as the World’s Best Grain Whisky at the 2013 Whisky Magazine’s World Whisky Awards.

Related Article: Toor Whisky

Bain’s Cape Mountain Single Grain Whisky Review

COUNTRY: South Africa

ABV: 43%.

COLOUR: Golden-yellow wheat, and here in the Kruger National Park, it is the colour of the setting sun.

NOSE: Sweet and rich with hints of toffee, banana and vanilla. There are faint hints of florals in the background.

PALATE: Spicy with bits of oak intermingling with the sweetness and treacle notes. After adding water, more winter spices come through. There are cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg on the palate. The oak is also more pronounced. It is not a ‘big mouthful’ whisky but is smooth and easy drinking.

FINISH: The finish is relatively short, but that might be because it is a grain whisky. The Bain’s ends in notes of warming spice and bitter citrus. It remains one of our favourite easy-drinking whiskies.

RATING: EXCELLENT

This is a whisky with character and one of our preferred gifts for overseas visitors. And it is affordable. In South Africa, Bain’s Cape Mountain single grain whisky retails for around R 250.

I have also blogged about the Three Ships Bourbon Cask and the Three Ships single malt from the James Sedgwick Distillery. If you live in the UK, you can also try this great release. I see that Master of Malt also stock it.

It is the perfect dram to cook with. I used Bain’s whisky to make a boozy apple pie. Infusing the apples with Bain’s for a few days gave the pie a grown-up kick. I made a marinade for Chicken using Bain’s whisky and it came delicious.

I was fortunate to taste the Chita Suntory single grain whisky and it was good to compare it to Bain’s single grain whisky. You can see what I thought of the Chita and if it lives up to the hype around Japanese whisky in my Chita blogpost.

Other Bain’s whisky releases

During 2021, Distell released a Bain’s Symphony 7 yo grain whisky. Only 6 000 bottles were released and it was easily the best dram I tasted during 2021.

The James Sedgwick distillery also released a Bain’s Shiraz Cask Finish whisky in 2021 and I have captured my tasting notes for the Bain’s 15 yo whisky.

Benriach The Smoky Twelve Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 09/05/2022

In Single Malt whisky

My previous post featuring Benriach was looking at the Benraich The Twelve whisky. Today I explore further and look at the Benriach The Smoky Twelve single malt Scotch whisky. I got to taste both these drams as part of a Benriach tasting in June.

One of the things I enjoy about Benriach whisky is the links with South Africa. John Duff travelled through South Africa before he opened Benriach in Scotland.

During June, my whisky friend Paul S tweeted about some more Benriach South Africa connections. He posted about the Benriach Cape of Storms 12 year old and 16 year old whisky released exclusively for the South African market at Whisky Live in 2007.

Benriach Cape of Storms was a limited release special bottling created to celebrate the launch of BenRiach into South Africa.

Going to be doing a series next…12 days of BenRiach, presenting some of my favourite whiskies from one of my favourite distilleries…1️⃣
First up are the Cape of Storms 12yo & 16yo. These were released exclusively for the South African market at Whisky Live in 2007… pic.twitter.com/d8VJ9CSFoS

— P.S.Whisky (@pswhisky) June 8, 2022

The casks were shipped to South Africa, where they were left to mature for another three years before bottling. SWA rules stipulate that Scotch whisky must be matured in Scotland, which meant that the extra three years of maturation in South Africa did not count towards the age statement.

There were 225 bottles of the Benriach 12 year old and 195 bottles of the Benriach 16 year old released. Both bottles were packaged in wooden crates. The crates for the Benriach 16 year old were made from staves of old BenRiach oak casks.

But back to the current dram in my glass: The Smoky Twelve single malt whisky. It is part of the core range together with The Twelve, Benriach The Ten and The Smoky Ten. All four of these core expressions are made up of different cask types.

BenRiach The Smoky Twelve Whisky Review

The Smoky Twelve single malt Scotch is created from a combination of unpeated and peated spirit, and matured for at least twelve years in bourbon barrels, sherry casks, and Marsala wine casks. The whisky from each cask was then married together.

According to Rowan, it is peated to about 35 ppm, which is similar to the Lagavulin 16 year old whisky. The peat used is from Caledonia.

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Burnished gold

NOSE: Heaps of oranges, smoky peaches and roasted almonds. A smattering of peat, vanilla and cloves is mixed with raisins and red fruit. Banana bread baking in the oven.

PALATE: Sweet red berries dipped in dark chocolate, peaty goodness, orange peel, brown sugar and toasted oak. Oranges and vanilla with BBQ smoky notes. A simply satisfying mix between the fruity sweetness and smoke. Hints of nuts and warming oak spice and the peaty notes are green and heathery. I finished my glass without water. Just a few drops allow more sweetness through.

FINISH: Long and lingering with nuts, black pepper and soft smoke.

RATING: EXCELLENT

What a lovely dram. Rich, smoky with sweet fruity notes balanced with green earthy peaty notes. The Benriach Smoky Twelve is perfect for autumn days next to the BBQ. The spice, sweetness and peat balance is perfect, and the peat is inviting but not overwhelming. Adding water takes away a bit of the complexity.

I can drink this without water every day in winter. Another point in its favour is the price range. It is readily available and retails for around R700 in South Africa.

This dram also made it onto my favourite peated whisky list. You can read this article all the other peated drams that also made it onto the list.

Sample disclosure: I received this whisky from the BenRiach team. The review and tasting notes are my own honest, fair and independent thoughts about the whisky.

Also Read: KWV 12 yo Brandy

Glen Moray Elgin Classic Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 08/29/2022

In Single Malt whisky

My bottle of Glen Moray Elgin Classic single malt Scotch whisky was a gift from my brother-in-law. I have seen this whisky around, but have never tried it. After receiving it, I left it on the shelf.

It stood there at the back on the shelf until I needed a whisky for a cheese tasting and the Glen Moray popped up when I was doing research.I tried it with a creamy Lancashire cheese and loved not only the pairing but also the whisky.

The Glen Moray Distillery is a Speyside distillery situated on the banks of the River Lossie in Elgin. Glen Moray started life as West Brewery and converted into a distillery in 1897.

Also read: Glenfiddich 12 year old Whisky

It closed in 1910 and was bought by the owners of the Glenmorangie Distillery around 1920. The Glenmorangie Company sold Glen Moray to La Martiniquaise in 2008. La Martiniquaise uses part of the whisky from Glen Moray in the Label 5 blended whisky.

The Glen Moray Elgin Classic whisky is aged for an estimated 8 years and aged in oak casks.

Glen Moray Elgin Classic Whisky Review

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 40%

COLOUR: It has the colour of light straw.

NOSE: Delicate with hints of malty sweetness, vanilla and oak floating about. Fresh cut flowers, grass and green apples seem to pop about. Whispers of condensed milk and cinnamon biscuits come in the second wave.

PALATE: Matches the nose as it is soft and delicate initially. The second sipping brings notes of spice balanced with fruity sweetness. There are notes of oak and mild hints of citrus also. The Glen Moray Elgin Classic whisky has the perfect balance between sweet and spicy.

It is a very easy drinking dram. The sense of lightness remains the whole way through, which is quite impressive. As my bottle is 40%, ABV, it does not need too much water. A few drops release more of the malty goodness.

FINISH: Medium length and delicate.

RATING: EXCELLENT

It is smooth, drinkable and probably the perfect summer sipping dram. It seems like my brother-in-law has good taste in whisky. This single malt will probably not last long, and I can find some stock in South Africa and Liquor City. And at R310 a bottle, it is a bargain!

Liquor City imported some Cask finish releases from Glen Moray, and I have taste the Port Cask Finish. It is delicious!

Also Read: Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX whisky

Woodford Reserve Rye vs Bulleit Rye Whiskey

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 08/22/2022

In Whisky Comparison

I have not done a side-by-side whiskey comparison in months, and it is so much fun. So today, let me look at a rye comparison: Woodford Reserve Rye vs Bulleit Rye whiskey. Earlier this year, I tasted the Woodford Rye whiskey, and the bottle gave me so much inspiration for side-by-side comparison posts.

I wanted to see how it stacks up against other ryes, such as the Jack Daniel’s and the Bulleit Rye. It will also be interesting to see how it compares to the Woodford Reserve bourbon. Over the past weekend, I have played around with the various ryes in my collection.

So, I’ll first start by capturing my tasting notes for the Woodford Reserve Rye vs Bulleit Rye whiskey. In a way, it is a clash between two whiskey powerhouses, Diageo vs Brown Forman. Can there only be one champion? Or is there a place for both of these bottles in your collection?

Both rye releases are readily available, so let’s jump into the Woodford Reserve Rye vs Bulleit Rye comparison.

Bulleit Rye Whiskey

review and tasting notes Bulleit Rye whiskey with glass
Augustus Bulleit produced the first Bulleit bourbon. He wanted to create a bourbon with a unique flavour profile and experimented with varying recipes until he found a whiskey he was happy with. He started his bourbon, which was available until he died in 1860.

Years later, his great-great-grandson, Tom Bulleit, dreamt of continuing his ancestor’s distilling tradition, and in 1987, he created a small batch bourbon bearing the family name. Diageo owns the Bulleit brand. The bottles are modelled on old medicine bottles, with distinctive raised lettering. The label on the Bulleit Rye is green.

Bulleit Rye whiskey was introduced in March 2011. It is a whiskey high in rye compared to other rye releases. The mash bill has 95% rye and 5% malted barley and is produced in small batches.

Woodford Reserve Rye Whiskey

Woodford Reserve Rye whiskey with glass

The Woodford Reserve Rye whiskey was launched in 2015 as the third permanent addition to the core range. The rye whiskey uses a pre-prohibition style rye ratio to pay homage to history’s original rye whiskeys.

It is a NAS (no age statement) release, and the mash bill is 53% rye, 33% corn, and 14% malt. Woodford Reserve is part of the Brown Forman stable. The Woodford Reserve Rye bottle shape is similar to the Woodford Reserve bourbon, just with green labelling.

Woodford Reserve Rye vs Bulleit Rye Whiskey

Woodford reserve rye vs Bulleit rye whiskey

	Bulleit Rye Whiskey	Woodford Reserve Rye Whiskey
Type	Rye whiskey	Rye whiskey
Mashbill	95% rye and 5% malted barley	53% rye, 33% corn, and 14% malt
ABV	45%	45.2%
Colour	Light golden caramel	Polished copper
Nose	Sweet and fresh. Cherries and vanilla with hints of grain and toasted oak. Subtle rye spices with hints of cinnamon and cloves.	Caramel sweetness, fresh green orchid fruit, cereal and toasted wood. The traditional rye spice notes with hints of black pepper. Elegant and soft.
Palate	Caramel sweetness followed by fresh fruit and green herbs before the spicy notes. Overripe cherries, dry roasted peanuts and crunchy grain. Then follows the rye spice mixed with vanilla, cinnamon and hints of pepper and cloves. Water brings more orange notes forward.	Rye spices mixed with fresh fruit, green grass and black pepper. Bits of honey and bourbon vanilla with a butterscotch note. Toasted oak, green herbs with bits of orange. Medium body that is soft and oily. Water softens the rye spice notes, and it is delicious without water. Not the boldest rye, but an outstanding balance between the rye spice and sweet fruity notes.
Finish	A spicy rye finish with cinnamon, allspice and vanilla. Medium length. Warming.	Medium length with oaky notes, pepper and caramel sweetness. Something green in the background.
My Rating	Excellent	Excellent
Price point	$40	$43

Side by side, the difference in the mash bill is quite noticeable. The Bulleit is spicier with more pronounced cinnamon, pepper, and cloves. The Bulleit Rye brings a more cherry and vanilla sweetness when compared to the Woodford Reserve Rye.

The Woodford Reserve is softer and more balanced with mixed fruit sweetness. The Woodford spices are milder and less distinctive than the Bulleit.

Both have a caramel-sweet undertone in the background. The finish on the Bulleit is longer and spicier, while the Woodford Reserve has more woody oak and sweetness in the finish. The Bulleit Rye will be better when looking at rye-forward cocktails.

The Woodford Reserve Rye is not the most complex or bold whiskey. However, it is sweeter and more approachable. If I have to choose between these two, I prefer the Woodford Reserve Rye.

The Bulleit Rye doesn’t hide the spiciness; it is bolder and slightly more complex. John loved the Bulleit Rye the most as his palate prefers spicier tastes.

There is a big difference in price between the two bottles. The Bulleit is nearly double the price in ZAR. That tips the scale in the Woodford Reserve direction. A great-tasting rye at an affordable price.

If you are passionate about rye, the Bulleit Rye is worth the extra money. However, the Woodford Reserve is perfect if you want to explore rye whiskey to learn new tastes.

In this Woodford Reserve Rye vs Bulleit Rye comparison, we’ve delved into the histories of these two powerhouse distillers and the distinctive characteristics of their rye whiskeys. While both are excellent choices, your preference may ultimately be your palate and budget.

If you’re looking for more spice and complexity, the Bulleit Rye could be your top pick. On the other hand, if you seek a sweeter and more approachable rye at an affordable price, the Woodford Reserve Rye is a solid choice. It’s a clash of the titans in the world of rye whiskey, and both contenders have their strengths.

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Also Read: Sazerac Rye vs Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey

Toor Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 08/15/2022

In Grain Whisky

I saw a colourful bottle of whisky on social media. The label was a vibrant turquoise blue with a captivating name; Toor whisky. In Afrikaans, my home language, the word means bewitch. I was fortunate to be sent a bottle by Redford Beverages, so today, let’s look at the story behind this bewitching brand.

Toor is a new entrant to the SA whisky market from the Doña distillery in Cape Town. Danielle Schoeman established Doña distillery in 2019 to bring new spirits to the local and international market. Doña means woman of rank.

The dynamic young female master distiller has won multiple awards for her Low/No-alcohol Drink, Best Ready to Drink, and numerous medals for her spirits at local and international competitions.

Her Mahala Botanical was awarded the prestigious Trophy for Best No/Low Alcohol Spirits at the Michelangelo International Awards.

Also Read: Sullivans Cove Bourbon Cask Whisky

Another venture under her care is the Toor Collective of whisky, with the first release of a 100% local grain whisky, matured in ex-bourbon American oak casks for 5 years before being finished in French oak casks.

Over time, the Toor Collective is about whisky exploring and experimenting, looking at the various barrel and non-traditional South African wood options, including pinotage, rum and other barrels. More releases will follow as more liquid matures over the coming years.

The distillery has started distilling and ageing its own grain whisky. However, for this first release, the team is sourcing, blending and ageing to deliver the taste profile they are aiming for.

Toor Whisky Review

COUNTRY: South Africa

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Dark gold

NOSE: Vanilla sweetness with hints of tropical fruit. Subtle woody notes. Very oily whisky with long fingers on the glass.

PALATE: Sweet honey drizzled baked stone fruit with hints of nuts and dry oak. The dry woody notes reminds me a bit of the woody notes in the Uncle Nearest bourbon. Hints of vanilla and light white pepper. A slight alcohol heat. Water smoothes the alcohol heat and makes this dram very drinkable. The Toor whisky is well balanced and exciting.

FINISH: Medium length with sweet honey and drying oak.

RATING: VERY GOOD

A lovely grain whisky. My bottle of Toor whisky nearly done, and that says a lot! The sweet fruity notes make it perfect for spring and summer sipping. Grain whisky in South Africa is stepping up with delicious sweet drams.

Available at WhiskyBrother & Co as well as Takealot. Toor whisky retails for around R330. It is a great whisky to use in cocktails and my favourite cocktail to make is a Tropical Toor.

Sample disclosure: I received this whisky from the Redford Beverages team. The review and tasting notes are my own honest, fair and independent thoughts about the whisky.

Also Read: Belgian Owl Evolution Whisky