Three Ships Whisky has launched the World and South Africa’s first whisky finished in a cask previously used for the maturation of Pinotage – the uniquely South African wine cultivar cloned in 1925 by Abraham Izak Perold.
With only 3 500 bottles of the 4 000 bottles available for purchase by the public, the Three Ships 15 Year Old Pinotage Cask Finish is the oldest whisky to date launched in South African history and crafted by Master Distiller Andy Watts, who sought to capture the unique heritage of South Africa in creating this rich, complex and unique whisky.
“Whisky finishes are nothing new, but never before has a Pinotage cask ever been used. The idea first came to me in the early 2000s but back then our industry was still very young and the world wasn’t quite ready to accept such innovation from South Africa.
“But I had never let go of my dream so some years later I had laid grain and malt whisky to rest in American casks for the purpose of finishing the blend in Pinotage casks. That was 15 years ago. Seems like half a lifetime has passed since then! This moment of being able to stand with the finished product in my hand is, in 25 years as a master distiller, truly the pinnacle of my career. I’m literally on cloud nine!”
