Whisky of the Week

KWV 12 year old Brandy

On 08/08/2022

KWV 12 yo Brandy header
Something different today. A potstill KWV brandy, the KWV 12 year old brandy. A few Saturdays ago, it was cold. The coldest night in 2022, and we turned on the fireplace. I needed something to warm me up from the inside, and John was not in the mood for whisky.

So I grabbed a bottle of Hennessy VSOP cognac and warmed the glass next to the flames for a bit before drinking. I posted it on Twitter, and quite a few friends responded to remind me that South Africa makes stunning brandy that will also warm me up.

I have written about SA whisky, gin and even rum, but never brandy. South African brandy is well known for its excellent quality, and they deserve some space on my blog. So I went out and found the KWV 12 year old Barrel Select brandy to try.

KWV is one of the best-known wine producers in South Africa. They were founded in 1918 and played a significant role in uniting wine producers during the industry’s starting years.

Some of my favourite wine brands are part of their portfolio. You will often see Roodeberg wines feature on my social media. The Cruxland gin, Ponchos tequila and Wild Africa Cream is also part of their portfolio.

But what is South African brandy?

To be called South African, the brandy must be produced from locally produced wine made from domestic grapes and distilled, matured and bottled in South Africa.

Colombard and Chenin Blanc grapes are mostly used. However, there are also brandies from other varieties, such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinotage and Muscat. All brandies in South Africa have to be double distilled in copper pots.

All the wines used for brandy are specially grown for brandy, not just wine that can’t be used in other ways. All brandies have to be matured in oak vates no bigger than 340l for a minimum of 3 years. Similarly to whisky, the age statement refers to the youngest component in the blend. If the bottle has no age statement, it is likely 3 years old.

The KWV 12 year old Barrel Select brandy is an aged 100% pot still brandy. It fits between the KWV 10 year old vintage and the smooth KWV 15 year old brandy. To be considered pot-still brandies, they require 100% of the brandy to have been distilled in a copper pot still and aged for a minimum of 3 years.

Also Read: Rum vs Whiskey

KWV 12 year old Brandy Review

KWV 12 yo Brandy with glass
ABV: 40%

COLOUR: Rich gold

NOSE: Dried peaches and fresh apricots with soft wood and sweetness. Elegant and lovely.

PALATE: A fruit salad of sweetness with honey and oak. Warming oak with bits of cinnamon dried and orchid fruit. Smooth and easy drinking, it is especially lovely with a few drops of water.

RATING: EXCELLENT

What a lovely brandy. The KWV 12 year old brandy reminds me a bit of a very fruity Speyside whisky. We have had a glass before dinner nearly every day this week. It warms you up on a cold winter evening and is delicious. It is readily available and affordable at R430.

Also Read: Remy Martin XO Cognac

Belgian Owl Evolution Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 08/01/2022

In Single Malt whisky

A couple of months ago, I was invited to try some Belgian whisky that will hopefully become available in South Africa over the next year or 2. I have tasted the Belgian Owl Identité whisky before. This 3 yo whisky has won various international prizes and is just lovely. Today I look at the Belgian Owl Evolution single malt whisky.

Whisky (or whiskey) is produced all over the world, and in my collection, I have whisky from about 21 countries. Alcohol bans and shipping shortages have slowed my world whisky collecting, so I will be thrilled when these Belgian drams eventually arrive in the country.

The Belgian Owl distillery was founded in 1997 in the town of Grâce Hollogne, near the city of Liège. Etienne Bouillon, founder and Master Distiller, brought two authentic Scottish stills to Belgium to keep close to the ancient whisky-making tradition. These stills were from the former legendary Caperdonich distillery in Speyside.

The whisky in the package included some new make spirit, the Belgian Owl Evolution, Passion and Belgian Owl Intense whisky.

The Belgian Owl Evolution single malt whisky is unpeated malt, aged in ex-bourbon barrels for at least 4 years. The Belgian Owl whisky is colouring free and non-chill-filtered.

Belgian Owl Evolution Whisky Review

COUNTRY: Belgium

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Bright copper

NOSE: Subtle fruit sweetness, dark chocolate, apples and grapes with cinnamon and oak. Bits of green herbs, vanilla, with dried pear.

PALATE: Fruity sweetness, summer spice with brown sugar, Dutch breakfast cake, wood and pepper bites. The Belgium Owl Evolutions has a medium body that doesn’t need a lot of water to open up. Hints of vanilla and green notes in the background.

FINISH: Medium length with pear sweetness, oak and black pepper.

RATING: EXCELLENT

You can easily pick out the distinctive Belgian Owl fruity notes balanced with lovely spices and hints of vanilla. Of all 5 Belgian Owl drams we tasted, John enjoyed the Evolution the most. My favourite was the Passion, and I will capture its tasting notes soon. A lovely single malt. Worth adding to your whisky collection.

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

Also Read: Penderyn Whisky

The GlenDronach 12 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 07/25/2022

In Single Malt whisky

One of my favourite, affordable sherry bombs and I have never written about it; the GlenDronach 12 year old single malt Scotch whisky. Today I rectify this oversight. It is one of those classic drams that can so easily be overlooked.

The GlenDronach is a Highlands distillery. Whisky from this distillery has been used in various blends including Teacher’s and Ballantine’s whisky.

The Glendronach Core range consists of an Allardice 18 year old and the Parliament 21 year old whisky release. There is even a Glendronach Peated whisky release. GlenDronach distillery also has various limited edition releases as well as single cask releases.

However, today I it is the turn of the GlenDronach 12 year old whisky. Re-launched in 2009, it is entirely aged in PX and Oloroso casks. The 12 year old is not chill-filtered with no added colouring. There is also a 15 year old release as part of the core collection.

Since I last wrote about GlenDronach, various things happened. I wrote about the GlenDronach 16 year old and covered the history of this distillery. I have also tasted the GlenDronach 13 year old single cask release bottled especially for Whisky Brother. When I wrote both these to posts, the distillery was still part of the BenRiach Group.

During April 2016 GlenDronach Distillery was purchased by the Brown-Forman Corporation. The deal included the BenRiach and Glenglassaugh distilleries as well.

Also Read: The Glenrothes Robur Reserve whisky

The GlenDronach 12 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Highlands

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Rich golden amber

NOSE: Rich notes of sherry, toasted nuts, ripe red berries and fruit including raisins and ripe plums, toffee with creamy vanilla.

PALATE: Ripe cherries and berries, raisins balanced with butterscotch, wood spices and ginger with hints of malt. It is rich and full-bodied with a creamy mouthfeel. It is perfectly smooth and easy drinking with just a little bit of a peppery bite. Add water carefully; it only needs a few drops to release additional smoothness.

FINISH: Woody notes with a dry full cream sherry finish and hints of nuts.

RATING: EXCELLENT

It is a fantastic, underrated whisky. It retails for under R700 in South Africa and is readily available. So easy drinking and delicious. The GlenDronach 12 year old whisky is a fruity sweet dram with just the slightest hints of spice and pepper. The sweetness is not overwhelming; it is creamy, soft and inviting.

This 12 year old Scotch is the perfect dram for autumn; sitting on the patio, on a late autumn afternoon, just before sunset. When the colour of the trees around me has turned all the shades of red, orange and golden yellow, this golden amber GlenDronach is the perfect end to a busy day. In South Africa, the Glendronach 12 year old retails for around R 900.

Also Read: Kornog Whisky

Gentleman Jack Tennessee Whiskey

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 07/22/2022

In Bourbon whiskey

Gentleman Jack Tennessee Whiskey header
I got this bottle of Jack Daniel’s Gentleman Jack Rare Tennessee whiskey as a gift about a year ago, and it is certainly time that I open and try it. I had tasted the Jack Daniel’s Old No 7 before and gave it a Very Good rating. Certainly not my favourite dram, but it will do in a pinch (perhaps a very tight pinch, but it will do).

Will this premium version of Tennessee whiskey impress me more? I wrote about the history of the Jack Daniel’s company in my Jack Daniels post. Introduced during 1988 as an upscale offering to appeal to consumers who wanted to move to a more premium brand, Gentleman Jack is called a Rare Tennessee whiskey.

Gentleman Jack is twice filtered through sugar maple charcoal. First, it is charcoal mellowed before going into the barrel. Then it is sugar maple charcoal mellowed again after reaching maturity, before being bottled. The regular Old No 7 is only charcoal filtered once.

Also read: Evan Williams Bourbon 2006 Vintage

According to some sources, Gentleman Jack is aged longer than the standard Jack Daniels. But as Jack Daniel’s is aged until the distillers are happy with it, it is difficult to define the age.

In South Africa, Gentleman Jack whiskey is about R60 more expensive than the regular Old No 7. In the UK it retail for around £32 on Amazon.

It is one of those polarizing brands. Some people love it, some people not so much.

On to the important part – the taste. Is all the extra mellowing and drama going to make a Gentleman from this ordinary Jack?

Gentleman Jack Tennessee Whiskey Review

Review and tasting notes Jack Daniels Gentleman Jack with glass
ABV: 43%.

COLOUR: Very similar to the regular Jack Daniel’s. It is a rich golden dark copper liquid.

NOSE: Gentleman Jack has spicy oak, caramel and vanilla sweetness and faint hints of smoke. It has that traditional Jack Daniel’s nose, but with a more sophisticated edge to it.

PALATE: Smoky oak and hints of charcoal. It reminded me of the smell that moment just before you light a BBQ. Herbal notes are coming through mixed with chocolate, rich dark roast coffee, hints of pepper and cinnamon intertwined with cherry sweetness and vanilla. The palate is bold and quite a big mouthful. Water smooths out the notes and adds sweetness.

FINISH: Medium length with dark Indian spices and faint bits of charcoal and vanilla.

RATING: EXCELLENT

It is a whiskey that has a distinctive personality. It’s smooth, complex, but it is easy drinking and more upmarket than the regular Jack Daniel’s whiskey. To me, this Jack is a gentleman from the rougher side of town that made the big time through hard work and perseverance. He is confident, well dressed and sure of who he is but comfortable about where he has come from.

I have done a side by side comparison between the Old No 7 and the Gentleman Jack to see how big the differences between the two are. I have also done a side by side comparison between the Gentleman Jack and the Woodford Reserve. Putting them next to each other in a tasting shows the differences and strengths very well.

Also Read: Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel whiskey

Rhumarie de Saint Aubin Rhum

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 07/18/2022

In Lifestyle

Saint Aubin Rhum Header
John was fortunate enough to have a work trip to Mauritius, and he brought me back a tasting pack of Saint Aubin Rhum. I have been exploring rum these last few months and learning more about rum in general.

Mauritius is one of those undiscovered rhum producing countries we always forget about. I see regular releases from Barbados, Jamaican and the Caribbean region. But Mauritius is just around the corner from us, and slowly, more of their rhums are making it to South Africa. You can now find New Grove, Chamarel and Penny Blue rums at NWW.

La Plantation de Saint Aubin has been cultivating sugar cane since 1819. The plantation is situated in the south of Mauritius, and the distillery was added later on. The distillery gets its name comes from one of its first owners, Pierre de Saint Aubin.

Saint Aubin makes Mauritian Agricola rhums from freshly squeezed sugar cane juice. The fermented cane juice is distilled once only in an alembic still.

The tasting pack contained the following rhums.

Saint Aubin Rhum Agricole (40%)

Saint Aubin Rhum blanc agricole 40
A pot stilled blanc Agricole bottled at 40% ABV. Tasting notes include creamy sweet fruit, blueberries, green pine needles and clean green notes. This is a great rhum for cocktails.

Saint Aubin Rhum Agricol (50%)

Saint Aubin Rhum Blanc agricole 50
A blanc Agricole bottled at 50% ABV. My tasting notes captured notes of blackberries and raspberries, fruit pastilles and aniseed. The dark berry notes on this jump out on the nose. Smooth and drinkable. Soft hints of freshly grated lemon peel.

Saint Aubin Epice Rhum

Saint Aubin Rhum epice
A spice-infused rhum with notes of cinnamon and nutmeg. There was a snicker doodle cookie element with almonds, rosewater and macadamia nuts. My favourite of all the rums we tasted. This is perfect for sipping neat like whisky. Bottled at 40%.

Saint Aubin Vanille Rhum

Saint Aubin Rhum vanille
Bourbon vanilla and toffee sweetness. Nice and sweet, but a bit one dimensional. This rhum will work very nicely with some mix or in a cuba libre cocktail. Bottled at 40%.

Saint Aubin Café Rhum

Saint Aubin Rhum cafe
A coffee flavoured rum that reminded me of Kahlua coffee liqueur. I found it a bit one dimensional where the coffee overwhelmed any other flavours. This rhum will make a great cocktail rhum.

When we return to Mauritius later in the year, I will try to visit Rhumerie de Saint Aubin and do a more in-depth exploration of their rums. For now I will just sit back and dream of tropical islands and sunshine while sipping my cocktails.

Update: Visit to Saint Aubin Rum Rhumerie

Saint Aubin Rhum welcome
During January 2023 I managed to visit the Rhumerie de Saint Aubin in Mauritius. It’s a wonderful drive out to the south side of the island through small villages next to the ocean. The rhumerie is situated just past Souillac. On the estate, there is a restaurant, a nursery with beautiful tropical plants, and a small vanilla plantation where you can see how vanilla is cultivated.

At the tasting room, there are many of the Saint Aubin rums available to taste. Most of the rum that I described above is available for tasting and there are a few more as well.

Saint Aubin Rhum Liqueur

These fruit-flavoured rum liqueurs are delicious. Ice cold from the fridge on a hot island afternoon, they hit the spot just right. My favourite was the Pina Colada and I see they are available in the regular supermarkets in Mauritius as well.

Saint Aubin Rhum Gin

Saint Aubin also released a gin made from pure sugar cane juice and flavoured with juniper berries. It has a sweeter undertone due to the sugar cane juice base and is perfect as a sipping gin. Perfect for if you enjoy juniper-forward gins. Soft and smooth and very drinkable.

Also Read: Rum vs Whiskey