Found this newbie in the LCBO a few weeks ago. I think I’d be searching based on country, looking for new stuff. And hey, found it!
Bain’s Cape Mountain is from South Africa, and made from a single South African grain. I’m not sure if they’re referring to a specific local grain, or if it’s locally grown rye or wheat, so I asked wiki. Seems like South Africa has pretty wonky wheat harvests. Barley is grown in the Western Cape province, which is where the Cape Mountain(s) is/are, so it may well be local South African barley.
Okay.. I don’t want to say anything overly scathing because I wish these guys all the best – more whiskey from more places is what we’re going for, right? But, go and look at their website – there’s a certain amount of unaddressed colonialism going on there.
Anyway, if you watch the video, you can see there’s no peating, and they use first fill bourbon barrels. The distiller mentions double maturation of the whisky, but doesn’t specify the second round. Here’s what we thought:
colour
Dan – amber/honey
Simon – lots of legs, honey
Goran – golden yellow
Ryan – light yellow
nose
Dan – apple juice, dry oak & plum
Simon – rye-ish, milder, honey again
Goran – ginger cookies, milk, black tea
Ryan – smokey, gross
neat
Dan – buttery caramel/toffee, cream, cinnammon
Simon – honey & rye, slight burn, lots of heat
Goran – honey, straw, hay, high pitched burn
Ryan – hint of rye
finish
Dan – long spice
Simon – chest burn, good heat
Goran – short burn, very light finish in flavour
Ryan – chemical
splash
Dan – smokey, dry wood, caramel, spice
Simon – unstructured, sweet
Goran – (splashed with Guinness) nice
Ryan – n/a
Verdict: Ryan wasn’t a fan, but the rest of us enjoyed it. It’s interesting but not quite put together. This distillery is one to watch.
Bain’s Cape Mountain 5y Single Grain Whisky – 43% 750ml – $48.45 – South Africa
Try it? Yes! Buy it? 3/4 said yes.
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