Slainte-Mhath
Three Ships 12 Year (James Sedgwick)
Single Malt — Western Cape, South Africa
Reviewed
April 18, 2021 (edited May 24, 2021)
Africa's only commercial whisky distillery has an interesting history, reaching back to James Sedgwick who started his business in 1850. Matured in American oak, the nose of Three Ships 12 is both expressive and complex. Yellow fruits, mixed spices and barley sugar are complemented by sour berries, heather and subtle peatiness. The sweet arrival is swiftly overtaken by aromatic flavors, unripe peach and quality oak, balanced by waves of peat smoke. Pepper, nutmeg and vanilla mark the dry and herbal finish. I am really impressed with this malt!
RATING: 3.9/5.0 stars ≙ 86 pts → FIRST-CLASS [-]
46.0
EUR
per
Bottle
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I just noticed that some people started hoarding this bottle, similar to recent inaugural releases. Not sure if this will pay off, this whisky was made for drinking!
@WhiskeyLonghorn I am not a huge fan of Indian whisky (Amrut, that is), and at least Tasmanian malts are ridiculously expensive. To be honest, blind I would have taken this dram for an Islay whisky. It is almost Scotch, which is good and bad at the same time. The quality is definitely there, but except for bananas (probably my imagination!), I could not pinpoint any South African identity.
Fascinating review. I’d be curious how this compares to Australian or Indian single malts.
Additional information: As you might imagine, South Africa's climate causes a significantly higher Angel's Share. This, however, also accelerates maturation, so the whiskies taste older than they actually are.
Additional information: The James Sedgwick Distillery is located in Wellington, Western Cape, South Africa. It belongs to Distell, who also own Bunnahabhain, Tobermory and Deanston, which explains the craft presentation of 46.3% ABV, natural color and non-chill filtered. This Master Distiller's Private Collection is the first release for the European market.