Amarula Gold

Three Ships 9 yo Fino Cask Whisky

On 01/13/2020

2020 – A new year and a new decade. And what better way to start the new decade with than with a proudly South African whisky. My first official whisky tasting notes for 2020 is the Three Ships 9 yo Fino Cask whisky.

The Fino Cask Finish is the 4th addition to the Three Ships Whisky Master’s Collection. First came the PX Cask Finish, then the Pinotage Cask Finish and thirdly the 8 yo Oloroso Cask Finish whisky. My favourite thus far was the Pinotage Cask which was my Whisky of the Year 2017.

On the 24th of October 2019, the annual Master’s Collection store was opened online again. This event has become so popular that 90% of the whisky was sold within the first hour.

Also Read: Milk & Honey Elements Sherry

For the Fino Cask release, the whisky was matured for 5 years in ex-American oak, followed by an additional 4 years in ex-Fino sherry casks. From this, Andy hand-selected only 4 barrels to create this expression. It is a limited edition with only 2,940 bottles produced.

The Three Ships 9 yo Fino Cask Finish is not chill-filtered, naturally coloured and bottled at 48.6%. The accent colour on the label is bright green. The green accents are fresh and bright and make the bottle stand out. I love it.

Three Ships 9 yo Fino Cask Whisky Review

I have bottle 643 of 2840.

COUNTRY: South Africa

ABV: 48.6%

COLOUR: Dark Gold

NOSE: Notes of BBQ smoke, stone fruit sweetness with bits of spice. Dried peach and apricot with bits of peat and a tropical hint.

PALATE: Complex and rich. Raisins, soft spices and citrus notes. Hints of smoke and peat balanced with sherry notes and tropical fruit sweetness. Medium body and easy drinking. No need to add water; however, a few drops of water releases a richer dimension on the palate and brings more fruity sweetness forward.

FINISH: Medium length ending in sweetness with hints of pepper.

RATING: EXCELLENT

Very delicious! This release is sweeter than the last 2 Three Ships releases I have tasted. The Private Barrel Co James Sedgwick 6 yo Fino and the Boutique-y Whisky Company 6 yo release both had a more spicy mouthfeel with less fruit.

With this release, there is a more fruit-forward profile again. I love how the Fino sherry shines through. It is a lovely release and probably my next favourite after the Master’s Collection Three Ships Pinotage Cask Finish.

I noticed that both the Private Barrel Co 6 yo release and this both have a Fino Cask Finish and during the year, I will certainly do a comparison between the 6 yo and this 9 yo whisky. Pick n Pay also jumped onto the single cask release bandwagon and released a Three Ships Virgin Oak Cask during 2021.

Also Read: Three Ships Shiraz Cask Finish 11 yo Whisky

Deanston 12 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 11/25/2019

In Single Malt whisky

Today I look at another whisky with a strong SA connection; the Deanston 12 year old single malt Scotchwhisky. The Deanston distillery is situated on the banks of the River Teith in the Scottish Highlands and is part of the Distell Group.

During the 18^th century, a cotton mill was situated just outside the village of Doune in Perthshire. After 180 years, the cotton mill closed. However, all was not lost, and in 1966 it was transformed into a distillery. The first spirit was bottled in 1974. The distillery started using local skills and Scottish grown barley to create their spirit.

The classical architecture of the Mill was one of its best features, and many of the Mill buildings were reused and slightly modified for the distillery. The vaulted warehouse, which was previously the weaving shed, has been recognised as one of the most remarkable surviving Regency buildings in Scotland and is now used to mature the Deanston whisky.

Also Read: Teerenpeli Whisky

Deanston changed ownership a few times, but in 1990 was purchased by Burn Stewart Distillers (which is part of the Distell Group). Distell Group Limited also own Bunnahabhain Distillery as well as Tobermory distillery on the Isle of Mull.

A big part of the Deanston whisky is used in blends, including Scottish Leader blended whisky. The Master Blender is (was) Dr Kristie Mccallum. (During October 2019 Dr Mccallum moved to Glen Moray.) The Deanston 12 year old whisky is the entry-level of the core range, followed by the Deanston virgin Oak. There are also Distillery exclusives and a few independent releases.

The Deanston 12 year old single malt whisky is aged in ex-bourbon barrels, not chill-filtered and has no added colouring.

Deanston 12 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Highland

ABV: 46.3%

COLOUR: Light honey gold

NOSE: Soft, sweet and delicate with notes of cereals, grassy green fields, flowers and orange sweetness. Hints of vanilla, oak and cinnamon. Freshly baked sugar cookies.

PALATE: More spice than what the nose suggests. Dry oak, pepper and nutmeg mixed with water biscuits, vanilla, toffee and orange. Vanilla cookies and orange peel. A few rough edges that soften with the addition of water.

Water also brings sweetness and wood forward. It becomes fruity and easy drinking with a few drops of water. The cereal notes from the nose are still there.

FINISH: Medium length ending in oak, pepper and orange peel.

RATING: VERY GOOD

A soft and sweet Highland 12 year old whisky. From here, it invites you to try more from this Scottish distillery. Not the boldest of drams, but very drinkable and indeed a great whisky to start exploring the Highlands with.

According to some research, the Deanston 12 year old whisky will pair well with cocoa dusted truffles. That sounds like a pairing I should try!

Also Read: Redbreast 12 yo Whiskey

Three Ships 6 year old TBWC Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 11/11/2019

In Single Malt whisky

This past week was our wedding anniversary. I wanted to open a special bottle to celebrate this special occasion. What can be more memorable as a celebration than opening the first South African whisky bottled by That Boutique-y Whisky Company, the Three Ships 6 year old single malt whisky. The first independent Three Ships bottling.

Black Bottle Old Release Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 07/29/2019

In Blended whisky

The first Black Bottle blended Scotch whisky I tasted was the new version that was launched in 2013. Burn Stewart went back to the original roots of the blend and updated the inside and the outside. That got me thinking about the Black Bottle old release whisky, that if you are lucky enough, you sometimes still find in the shops.

While researching the new Black Bottle, I read a lot about the Islay character of the old Black Bottle whisky, and when I spotted a few of the pre-2013 versions in the shop, I grabbed it.

For many years, Black Bottle blended Scotch whisky was known for its Islay peatiness. The bottle changed from the original Black glass that was sourced from a supplier in Germany to green glass during the early part of the 1900s.

The change was due to the outbreak of World War 1. The Islay character change is probably also from that time when Islay whiskies were more readily available and affordable.

Old Black Bottle is (according to some) a blend of at least 7 different Islay distilleries as well as some grain whisky from the mainland. The older release and the newer release can’t be more different. But what exactly does the old Black bottle taste like?

Also Read: William Lawson’s whisky

Black Bottle Old Release Whisky Review

REGION: Islay

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Gold

NOSE: Classic peaty Islay notes with hints of wet seaweed and honey sweetness. It does not have that heavy medicinal notes from a Lagavulin or Laphroaig, but a bit more salt, oak, and fruity sweetness. Dried cherries and honey with hints of smoke and delicious creamy bits.

PALATE: Soft peat and fruit. Bits of pepper, vanilla and salted nuts mixed with dried cherries, honey, and condensed milk creaminess. Bits of smoke and dry oak. Not an overwhelming peat monster, but a wonderfully balanced drinkable whisky.

Certainly no shrinking violet. I finished my first glass without adding some water and had to have another glass to see what water does to it. Interestingly, water releases a malty cookie dough note.

FINISH: Long and warming and perfect for winter with peat and hints of lemon pepper.

RATING: EXCELLENT

What a delicious dram. Peaty enough for a peat lover, but balanced with enough sweetness to convert someone who wants to experiment with more peat. It has some rough edges, but it is all part of the prominent character.

The new Black Bottle release (in the black bottle) is a lovely dram, and it works well in cocktails. However, this release is bold and delicious. If you like peated whisky and you see the last lonely one in a bottle shop somewhere, grab it. You will be delighted that you did.

Also Read: Ledaig 10 yo Whisky

How to make a whisky bottle lamp

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 05/22/2019

In Lifestyle

Father’s Day is fast approaching. But what do you get for the extraordinary father figure in your life? You want to give him something unique, just like him. Last year, you bought him that limited edition bottle of whisky, and during the year he finished the bottle.

The empty bottle is now standing with his other half-empty bottles in the cupboard. It was such a beautiful bottle and a release that brings back treasured memories, and he does not want to get rid of even of the empty bottle.

So for Father’s Day 2019, I looked at a cool way to re-purpose those special empty whisky bottles. There are many things to do with empty glass bottles. You can make candle holders, torches or bird feeders. But the idea I like the most was to upcycle the bottle into a whisky bottle lamp. That way, the unique bottle get pride of place on a table as a purposeful décor item.

Luckily Builders Warehouse had all the items I needed for my whisky bottle lamp upcycling DIY project. They also had friendly staff that helped with some good advice.

Making a Whisky Bottle Lamp

Making a whisky bottle lamp is not too difficult; it just takes a bit of patience. John just finished his limited release Three Ships 10 yo whisky and the bottle was perfect. It has a sturdy base, and this was great for stability.

Shopping list

First up was a visit to Builders Warehouse to look for the things I would need. I have a drill but needed a special drill bit to drill through the glass and a few other items.

Other items needed:

Diamond Tip drill bit (I used a Ruwag diamond tip 6mm)
Lamp fitting (Nylon)
Switch
Wire
Plug
Glue (I used the Everbuild Stixall)

The process

https://twitter.com/WhiskyoftheWeek/status/1123207341397225474

Using the diamond tip drill bit, make a hole in the back of the bottle, somewhere near the bottom. Having water drip on the drilling spot helps to lubricate it and keeps it cool. This part takes a bit of time and patience. Slow, steady pressure works best. You don’t want the glass bottle to shatter.

Wear safety equipment when working with glass. I found some nice resources on YouTube with regards to glass drilling and also had a long chat to a friendly person at Builders who had some great advice as well.

When the hole is done, wash and dry the bottle. Thread through the wire and assemble the lamp fitting and the wire as required. Connect the on-off switch and safely add the plug socket. Test to see if it works. You don’t want to glue it all together just to find some wire was not securely connected.

Using the glue, fix the lamp fitting onto the top, making sure it is level. Let it all dry properly. Add a lampshade of your choice. And you are done.

Finished Whisky Bottle Lamp

And your gift is done. Perfect for Father’s Day. A one of a kind gift for a one of a kind father.

It took a bit of time, but it was so worth it. Last week we finished our bottle of Three Ships Pinotage Cask, another limited release and I am going to change that into a whisky bottle lamp as well It was the best whisky I had during 2018, and I don’t want to get rid of the bottle.

Not only is this a great gift, but the upcycling of the bottle is kind to the environment too.

Disclaimer: I got a gift voucher from Builders Warehouse that allowed me to buy the items I needed for this DIY.