The distillery is to be found in the foothills of the Bains Kloof Pass on the banks of the Berg River in Wellington and their current expressions include a 5yo blend and the Bourbon cask finish. Recently, James Sedgwick distilled South Africa's first single grain whisky too, so hopefully we'll be seeing that heading to our shores soon.
I recently popped into Milroy's in Soho and the Three Ships 10yo single malt caught my eye, so I grabbed a bottle. Apparently this bottling is a limited edition, so probably worth seeing if your local retailer can locate it for you.
Three Ships - 10yo single malt whisky - 43% - 75cl
Nose: A very alluring soft and aged peat gently wafts in first, almost reminiscent of a lightly peated Ardbeg. Behind that, is a stewed rhubarb note, a hint of sweet candifloss and a wave of dry oakiness.
Palate: The initial sip is sweet and fragrant, rather like a sweetened Earl Grey tea, creamy cereal, soft red summer fruits and chocolate covered hazelnuts. The peat is again gentle, this time similar to my old favourite - Talisker 18yo, which is high praise indeed. It doesn't have as much depth as this Syke heavyweight, but it is a very passable and drinkable.
Finish: Sweetness lingers and the cereal notes coat the tongue along with the soft peat for a pleasingly lengthy finish.
Overall: What a little corker. Cost wise, this comes in at a fairly weighty £45, which for a 10yo is fairly expensive. But nonetheless a very easy drinking and approachable whisky from South Africa's finest. Think Spring Bok as opposed to Springbank!!
