Bains Single Grain South African Whisky, 70 cl

Product Information

Africa’s first commercial whisky distillery is now open to the public for tours and whisky pairings 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.

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.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.

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. 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. 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. The Bain’s Symphony is the 8th bottle of Bain’s release in my collection. They first released the Bain’s 15 yo whisky, and it is probably one of the best drams I have ever tasted. This was followed by the 18 yo series with a Fino Cask, Oloroso and a PX cask. Earlier in 2021, a Shiraz Cask finish landed and then a 21 yo Double Wood whisky.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 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. 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 whisky genuinely unique.

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. 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 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. 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 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.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.