South Africa’s Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky has unveiled a new limited-edition expression which is exclusive to Travel Retail – Bain’s 21-Year-Old Pinotage Special Reserve.
Just 275 bottles have been produced and the whisky is currently available at Big Five Duty Free stores in South Africa.
A truly special whisky, the 21-Year-Old Pinotage Finish is the rarest whisky released to date by The James Sedgwick Distillery, with only one cask selected. Touches of typical Pinotage red berry fruit linger with a slight earthiness, interlaced with the signature caramel and spicy notes of Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky. The whisky’s colour reflects the warmth of the Kalahari Desert sunset, mesmerising with its orange and red hues.
Pinotage, South Africa’s signature grape varietal, is celebrated for its distinctive flavours. In a continuation of his quest to craft unique whiskies that reflect South Africa, Founder Distiller Andy Watts masterfully aged Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky for a further 10 years in older American oak before maturing the whisky in a seasoned Pinotage cask for two years. To embrace grain whisky’s exceptional absorption of flavour from seasoned casks, the whisky was re-vatted back to older American oak for three years before spending a final year resting in rinsed Pinotage casks, rounding off the whisky to perfection over a period of 21 years.
Bain’s 21-Year-Old Pinotage Special Reserve, available in a 1L bottle, is non-chill filtered and bottled at 50.8% ABV. The limited-edition release joins the travel retail exclusive 21-Year-Old Double Cask Finish and 10-Year-Old Shiraz Cask Finish that were launched in 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Andy Watts, Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky Founder Distiller, said: “This limited edition really doubles down on its South African roots, pairing the nation’s most iconic whisky with Pinotage – the idiosyncratic grape which has been so central to the country’s wine culture. For visiting whisky lovers keen to take home something uniquely South African, or proud South Africans looking to celebrate our wines and spirits, this is a true one-off which we’re delighted to offer through our partners at Big Five Duty Free.”
Luke Maga, Distell International Head of Europe & Travel Retail, commented: “This incredible whisky, a testament to Andy’s innovative spirit, truly captures the essence of South Africa. Thanks to its accessible style and taste, Bain’s has a pivotal role to play in the world of international whiskies and this new expression is sure to appeal to travel retail consumers who are increasingly seeking innovation, exclusivity and new flavours.”
Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky is crafted at the James Sedgwick Distillery situated close to the foothills of the Bainskloof Pass, the majestic road that carves through the striking Cape Mountains. Sustainability is an integral part of the approach taken at the James Sedgwick Distillery. As the only commercial whisky distillery in Africa and one of only a few in the world where both grain and malt whisky is distilled, protecting natural resources is central to every decision taken by the distillery team.
Over the years a number of sustainability initiatives have been implemented at the distillery, including recycling spent grains, which are high in protein, for animal feed and collecting the CO² created during fermentation for use in carbonated drinks. Waste water is also treated on-site – the first part of the water treatment process recovers methane gas which is re-used in the whisky making process to reduce coal usage, whilst the second treatment results in approximately 35% of the water being re-used for cooling and in boilers.
