Bains Single Grain South African Whisky, 70 cl

Product Information

The whisky is then revattted into a fresh set of casks for an additional 18 to 36 months of maturation, with this double maturation process ensuring “maximum extraction of flavours” resulting in a finish of spice and toffee, according to the producer.

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 by the brilliance. The Shiraz Cask is a whisky to savour and appreciate. 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. 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.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. COLOUR: Golden-yellow wheat, and here in the Kruger National Park, it is the colour of the setting sun.

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. 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. Africa’s first commercial whisky distillery is now open to the public for tours and whisky pairings 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. 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.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. 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. We deliver to a number of international destinations including the USA. Please use the 'Change Location' link above for an estimate in your local currency or find out more about international delivery 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. The sweetness and spice of the Bain’s enhanced the earthy notes of the Camembert. The richness of the cheese softens with the Bain’s, and you want to try the Bain’s whisky food pairing again and again. Coffee Bourbon Ice Cream

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. 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. We eat a lot of lamb over weekends. On the braai in summer and warming stews in winter. Weekends are the perfect time to experiment. I have tried this Garlic and Rosemary roasted lamb with various whiskies, but always return to the Ardbeg 10 yo. My tasting notes for the Ardbeg 10 yo included notes of peat and smoke, citrus and hints of vanilla. The Ardbeg 10 yo is a big complex whisky, but not overwhelmingly so. 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.

Bain’s is a single grain whisky, matured in first-fill ex-bourbon casks for 3 years, and then filled into another set of first-fill ex-bourbon casks for a few more years, making it around 6 years old. 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.

Another whisky cheese pairing I regularly enjoy. I paired the Camembert cheese with various whiskies, but the pairing with the Bains’ whisky remains my favourite. My tasting notes for the Bain’s whisky included sweet hints of toffee, banana and vanilla. Today I look at my favourite whisky food pairings that I have tried over the last couple of years. I capture my whisky tastings in a pretty notebook. I love the act of scribbling notes, pictures and drawing emotions on paper. Sometimes a whisky creates such strong feelings that it is easier to draw an emotive face on paper than to write down the emotion words. Old school, I know. John loves technology, and he captures his thoughts via speech recognition software. The Bain’s 15 yo whisky is the first in the Founder’s Collection series and pays tribute to Andrew Geddes Bain, who built the Bain’s Kloof Pass. More editions in the Founders collection include the Bain’s 18 yo PX Cask, Oloroso Cask, and Fino casks. The Bain’s range has also expanded with a 10 yo Shiraz cask and even a 21 yo Double Cask. As a result Bain’s is exceptionally smooth, a characteristic of generally much older whiskies from a cooler climate,” the producer explained.

The James Sedgwick Distillery in Wellington

The parent company for Bain’s is Distell, which also has brands such as Amarula, Savanna and Hunter’s Dry. In 2013 it bought Scotch whisky producer, Burn Stewart Distillers. Use the best quality ice cream you can get your hands on, add some good quality coffee, grab any bourbon that you have. It is as easy as that. Not too many dishes and the grownups will smile. 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! 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. The Bill: R350p/p | Welcome drink, distillery tour and three whiskies paired with five food samples.