Whisky of the Week

Meandering the world, one whisky at a time

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Tag: Rating: Excellent Page 7 of 41

Whisky of the Week review and tasting notes for whiskies that I rated as Excellent.  Excellent means that after tasting the whisky, I want to pour a second and third glass.  It is whisky that I want to keep on drinking and when the bottle is finished, I will buy another one.  Rating: Excellent

Bain’s Shiraz Cask 10 yo Single Grain Whisky

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On 09/19/2022

In Grain Whisky

Bains shiraz cask whisky header
We went away on holiday, and I took some whisky with us. I have been loving the Bain’s 15 yo and was keen to try the Bain’s Shiraz Cask finish 10 yo single grain whisky.

We explored Mauritius, and the warm, tropical island was a great place to take a grain whisky to. The Bain’s Shiraz cask finish whisky is a new limited edition launched in 2020. It is available in travel retail and at the James Sedgwick distillery shop.

Like the standard Bain’s whisky, the Shiraz cask is a grain whisky double matured in ex-bourbon casks for about five years. Following its initial double maturation, this whisky was finished in ex-Shiraz American oak casks for five years.

A Shiraz finish is rarely selected as a whisky finish; however, it is not the first time that the James Sedgwick distillery has experimented with this type of cask.  A couple of years ago, a Three Ships Shiraz cask finish whisky was released as part of their Masters Collection.




Looking online, I also found a High West Double Syrah Finish and the Mythology Syrah Finish whiskey. However, this is one of the only grain whisky releases aged in Shiraz, and that makes this genuinely unique.

Shiraz is a red wine cultivar with a distinct smoky flavour. In some parts of the world, it is referred to as Syrah. Shiraz wines generally have smoky, peppery, spicy and ripe plum and berry flavour.

I wrote down my tasting notes for this whisky on the beautiful island during our holiday and just captured them here to remind us of our fabulous trip.

Also Read: Bain’s 15 yo Sonically Matured whisky

Bain’s Shiraz Cask 10 yo Whisky Review

Bains Shiraz Cask whisky with glass

The Bain’s Shiraz Cask Finish is a single grain whisky bottled at cask strength, non-chill-filtered and natural in colour. I have bottle 4368 of 4650.

COUNTRY: South Africa

ABV: 63.5%

COLOUR: Golden red

NOSE: As I opened the bottle, the red wine nearly overpowers everything else. After the glass stood for a few minutes, the more traditional Bains tropical fruit and sweetness came through. Hints of oak, vanilla and red fruits with pepper.

PALATE: The first sip has loads of drying red wine and tannins. Big and bold and a bit overwhelming. The alcohol doesn’t burn, but you know you are drinking a high ABV dram.

After standing for a little while, the red wine notes wafted off and left ripe red fruits, spicy toffee, pineapples and vanilla. Hints of rum and raisin ice cream with a woody undertone. Water softens the alcohol but brings more red wine to the front.

FINISH: Long and lingering with notes of spice and tropical sweetness.

RATING: EXCELLENT

Smooth and delicious but not an easy drinking whisky. Well balanced and complex, this grain whisky is uniquely different. It is unlike anything I have tasted before.

Drinking the standard Bain’s whisky is like sitting around a dinner table with an old friend. You don’t have to dress up or fuss; you can kick back and talk about frivolous things the whole evening.

Sipping the Shiraz Cask is like sitting down for an hour with Albert Einstein. You dress formally, listen more than speak, and come away dazed but overwhelmed. The Shiraz Cask is a whisky to savour and appreciate.

It is not for the faint of heart or for a newbie. Let it breathe for 5 to 6 minutes before trying it. Andy Watts, the Master Distiller, has again shown his brilliance and his amazing skill. The whisky retail for R975, and I have bought mine online from the James Sedgwick shop.

Also Read: Three Ships 10 yo Whisky



Bain’s Cape Mountain Single Grain Whisky

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On 09/12/2022

In Grain Whisky

Bain's Cape Mountain Whisky header
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

Review and tasting notes Bain's Cape Mountain whisky with glass
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

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On 09/05/2022

In Single Malt whisky

Benriach the smoky twelve whisky header
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.

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

Benriach the smoky twelve whisky with glass

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

On 08/29/2022

In Single Malt whisky

Glen Moray Elgin Classic Whisky header
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

Review and tasting notes Glen Moray Elgin Classic single malt whisky with glass
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


Belgian Owl Evolution Whisky

By

On 08/01/2022

In Single Malt whisky

Belgian Owl Evolution Whisky header
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.

Belgian Owl Whisky samples

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

Belgian Owl Evolution whisky with glass
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



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