Bains Single Grain South African Whisky, 70 cl

Product Information

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. I did however look at the level of my bottle about two weeks after buying it and it was nearly empty. That was enough to convince me, it is divine and not a skewed rating based on my love for JSD.

The whisky pays tribute to Andrew Geddes Bain, who conquered the Cape Mountains and built the Beyerskloof Pass, which connected Wellington in the Western Cape to the interior of South Africa in 1853. Nose: The nose of this dram seems to change every other sniff. At first, the nose brought a rich opening on old wooden furniture and cocoa dusted brazil nuts. After a couple of minutes, some Jamaican rum funk briefly comes out to play – rotting bananas and petrol. A few more minutes adds some grain whisky varnish on to the old wooden furniture, plus some cloves and flashes of prunes and caramel. After a longer time in the glass, it becomes a more typical grain with heavy varnish, some prunes, and occasional flashes of rotting bananas and caramel. With water, the focus is still on the varnish, with cloves still present and some added vanilla and cream. 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. Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky, which was first released in South Africa in 2009 and the USA in 2015, is aged for three years in medium-charred bourbon oak casks, used initially to mature bourbon.A Shiraz finish is rarely selected as a whisky finish; however, it is not the first time that the JS 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. We decided to offer guests a unique experience. Everyone appreciates a really good whisky. Add food and you have an extraordinary taste experience,” says Simon. Africa’s first commercial whisky distillery is now open to the public for tours and whisky pairings

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.

James Sedgwick Distillery

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Andy Watts, the current Master Distiller, is only the 6th since the distillery was established in 1886. [3] Awards [ edit ] COLOUR: Golden-yellow wheat, and here in the Kruger National Park, it is the colour of the setting sun. The other day I reread the blog post I wrote at the end of 2017 , where I was lamenting that there is only the standard Bain’s single grain whisky available. Even though Distell had older whisky available in casks, they were reluctant to release more liquid as the brand was still relatively small. It needs no water and is perfectly drinkable, just like it is. More creamy vanilla and pepper come to the front if you want to add a few drops of water. Medium body and perfect for summer.

However, there have been some excellent whisky food pairings. Pairings I whip out time and time again. So I decided to compile my top 5 whisky food pairings that are a staple in my house. 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. 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. The first time I tasted the Bain’s 15 yo whisky was about five years ago at The Only Whisky Show when Andy Watts had some in a beautiful decanter hidden underneath the table at his Three Ships stand. It was love at first taste. I knew that this was what, for me, perfect whisky tasted like. Unfortunately, it took a year or so before it was released as a distillery bottling.

Outside the box

The Bill: R350p/p | Welcome drink, distillery tour and three whiskies paired with five food samples. I first tasted the regular release of Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky a few years ago as part of an international whisky tasting that I co-organised. Bain’s is from South Africa and so it added not just another country, but another continent to the line-up. It had other things going for it too, as it was well reviewed, balanced the budget for the tasting, and seemed to be a good opening dram because it is a low ABV single grain.

Finish: Medium on dark chocolate and cloves. With water, the cloves are still there but accompanied by vanilla and varnish instead. 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. Fast forward four years, and today I have added the Bain’s Symphony whisky release to my collection. It is wonderful to see this small grain whisky brand going from strength to strength and finding its feet, in SA but also on the world stage. 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.As a result Bain’s is exceptionally smooth, a characteristic of generally much older whiskies from a cooler climate,” the producer explained. Not technically a whisky food pairing, however something I make regularly. I love coffee; I love ice cream. Add some Knob Creek Bourbon, and you have magic. Perfect for a grown-up dessert in summer. Best of all, it is easy to make, without too much fuss. The whisky tastings comprise Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky, Three Ships Bourbon Cask Finish and Three Ships 5 Year Old Premium Select whereas the food samples include apple chips, smoked apple chips, smoked beef, blue and goats cheese with fennel and celery, smoked snoek, 70% dark chocolate mousse and pumpkin pie. JSD released a total of 6,000 bottles. The standard Bain’s is bottled at 43%, the Bain’s Symphony whisky is bottled at a respectable 48.6% ABV. It has the classical Bain’s notes of toasted oak, vanilla and banana, but all the notes are elevated. It is basically a Bain’s on steroids! The extra time in the barrel and the higher ABV makes a massive difference between the Bain’s and the Symphony. The Symphony is more complex, with bolder flavours and texture. It is perfect! Just perfect!