Bain's Cape Mountain Whisky named World's Best Grain Whisky

The whiskies were assessed blind, based on three tasting rounds, by an independent panel of judges that included some of the foremost international whisky palates.

The award was presented to Andy Watts, master distiller of Bain's Cape Mountain Whisky, who said that he was overwhelmed by the news and was delighted to have been able to personally receive the award.

Distiller of Bain's Cape Mountain Whisky, Jeff Green, said, "This isn't just a win for this brand but for South African whisky-making. Launched in 2009, it was created to express the properties of South Africa's very best homegrown grains, fermented and distilled locally. With a distinctive South African taste profile, the maize is the same as that which was imported into Scotland up until the mid-1980s to make Scotch whisky.

"The whisky is proudly South African in profile. By taking the World's Best Grain Whisky title, we have amply demonstrated that South Africa can make exceptional whiskies. The 2013 title follows last year's win by Three Ships 5 Year Old of the WWA's World's Best Blended Whisky, puts South Africa as a whisky producing country, squarely on the map."

Green says that South Africa's warm climate contributed to the excellence of its whiskies. He explained that the maturation process was accelerated by the faster interaction between wood, spirit and air to produce whiskies of great smoothness. "Essentially, the higher ambient temperatures mean our whiskies reach maturity at a younger age."

The whisky is double matured to allow the maximum interaction between the cask and whisky. The whisky spends three years in specially selected ex-Bourbon casks and is then re-vatted for a further two years in a fresh set of casks, resulting in attractive toffee, floral and vanilla aromas softened by sweet, spicy undertones, with a warm mouth-feel and a smooth finish.

Inspired by the Bain's Kloof Pass and its natural beauty, it is distilled and matured at the James Sedgwick Distillery, situated near the foothills of the Bain's Kloof Pass in Wellington, in the heart of the Cape's Boland. The whisky pays tribute to Andrew Geddes Bain, the pioneering pass builder who planned and built Bain's Kloof Pass, which connected Wellington to the interior in 1853.

The whisky is available from leading liquor outlets and retails for approximately R200 per 750ml bottle.