Today I look at a delicious whisky with a great cause. That is a win-win situation. A week ago, this bottle of Rhino whisky arrived. I love the design and packaging, and it comes with an extraordinary story.
Southern Africa is facing a poaching crisis. The killing of rhinos for their horns has reached unprecedented levels. In just a decade, more than 7,500 African rhinos have been killed in the mistaken belief that the horn can heal illness. The horn is mainly composed of keratin, the same protein found in hair and fingernails and holds no medicinal value.
Two friends were sitting around a campfire lamenting the rhino poaching crisis and the possible extinction of these magnificent animals. Tired of just talking, they decided to do something about it.
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Gerrit Wagener and Brin Kuchner (a qualified ranger) decided to create a whisky that would highlight the plight of the African rhino and give back to rhino conservation in Africa. They committed to donating 5% of all sales to rehabilitating orphaned baby rhinos at the Rhino Orphanage in the Limpopo province. And so Rhino whisky was born.
The Rhino whisky is a Scotch single malt whisky from an undisclosed distillery in Strathspey, the area around the River Spey in Northeastern Scotland. Rhino whisky is double matured in Rum Casks and bottled as a NAS release.
Rhino whisky retails for around R 590.00 and is available online via Takealot and WhiskyBrother & Co in South Africa and at a few select retailers.
REGION: Speyside
ABV: 43%
COLOUR: Gold red
NOSE: Elegant tropical fruit sweetness with bits of baking spice and malt. Hints of cream and vanilla with a green undertone.
PALATE: Freshly baked vanilla shortbread and toasted oak. Then comes the tropical fruit sweetness with overripe guava and hints of honey and floral notes. There are hints of cinnamon and black pepper in the background. Nice balance between the oaky spices and the sweetness. Medium body. A drop or two of water brings more spices to the front.
FINISH: Medium length with malt oiliness and vanilla.
RATING: EXCELLENT
The Rhino whisky is an easy drinking and approachable dram. Perfect for a novice but well-rounded enough for a connoisseur to also enjoy. The whisky worked for my palate as I prefer sweeter drams. This is a delicious whisky and will make a great gift for the whisky lover in your life.
The Rhino Orphanage, a non-profit organisation, is the world’s first rhino orphanage. The orphanage is a specialist, dedicated, a non-commercial centre that cares for orphaned and injured baby rhinos with the only aim of releasing them back into the wild.
Visit www.therhinoorphanage.co.za for more information.
Sample disclosure: I received this whisky from the Rhino Whisky PR team. The review and tasting notes are my own honest, fair and independent thoughts about the whisky.
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