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.
Earlier in the year, at the Only Whisky Show, I was fortunate to meet Dave Worthington and attend one of his Master Classes. It was a fantastic night out, and it was great to meet up with old and new whisky friends. The Master Classed allowed for an opportunity to learn more about That Boutique-y Whisky Company (TBWC).
If you still don’t know, TBWC is an independent whisky bottler that bottle a huge variety of distilleries as limited-edition releases. They bottle single edition malts, grains and bourbons from all over the world.
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The label of each release is done in a graphic novel style that is fun and contains humorous references to the distillery, liquid in the bottle or the master distiller/blender behind the brand.
This 6 year old from Three Ships is batch one from the James Sedgwick distillery, matured in American oak and finished in PX. Only 1 150 bottles were produced. The artwork on the label depicts Master Distiller, Andy Watts, filling a Three Ships whisky cask with whisky. The barrel in question is branded with PX.
In one hand, Andy carries the filling nozzle, and in the other, he’s hammering the bung into the cask with a Derbyshire Club cricket bat (the team he used the play for).
COUNTRY: South Africa
ABV: 53.7%
COLOUR: Dark gold
NOSE: Sherry sweetness with berry jam, red plums, raisins and oak. Hints of cinnamon, vanilla and cloves. Rich and complex with multiple layers. Bits of old leather and polished wood mixed with sweetness and malt. Rich and opulent and just inviting and wonderful.
PALATE: The first sip brings chocolate-covered cherries, fruity sweetness and fresh wood shavings. The second sip brought more pepper and lemon with some alcohol heat. The red plumbs and fruity notes are mixed with hints of earthy moss and wet forests.
The Three Ships 6 year old needs to breathe a bit, and the alcohol heat needs a few drops of water to soften it. Water softens the spices and brings a new sweetness layer to the front.
FINISH: Wonderfully warming and long. Dry wood and spices that lingers with bits of fruity sweetness.
RATING: VERY GOOD
What an interesting whisky. The nose is impressive and elaborate. On the first sip, you taste the sweet fruitiness promised. But the second sip tasted like a different whisky. If I had this blindfolded, I would have thought you switched my glass around.
The second sip of That Boutique-y Whisky Company Three Ships 6 year old single malt brought the alcohol heat, and it needed to stand for a few minutes to soften. It requires a few drops of water to bring the complexity forward. Only then can you appreciate the multi-layers of flavour that it offers.
This release is a weighty whisky. John called it a cognac type whisky. Something fruity but heavy that you need to take your time over and sip slowly. It is for a more maturity palate that enjoys bolder tastes.
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