Bain's Cape Mountain Whisky takes its name from Andrew Geddes Bain, the 19th-century road engineer who carved Bain's Kloof Pass through the mountains above Wellington — the same mountains that now watch over the James Sedgwick Distillery where this whisky is made. Distilled entirely from South African yellow maize by Andy Watts and his team, Bain's was the first single grain whisky in the world to be made exclusively from one grain, one country, one distillery.
It also happens to be very, very good. Matured exclusively in first-fill ex-bourbon casks under the fierce Cape sun, Bain's has collected a shelf of international awards — including World's Best Grain at the World Whiskies Awards, more than once — and it wears them lightly.
The nose is pure invitation: honey, vanilla pod, ripe pear and that unmistakable toasted-corn sweetness that tells you grain whisky can be beautiful when it is given the right wood and enough time. The palate is silky, almost liqueur-smooth, with crème caramel, banana, coconut flakes and a warm nutty undercurrent. The finish is gentle but persistent, handing off vanilla and honey with a soft spice whisper.
Bain's is the whisky I hand to people who say they do not like whisky. They almost always change their minds. It is also the whisky I pour for myself at the end of a long day, because sometimes you want something that feels like being forgiven. For the price, there is nothing else quite like it on the South African shelf, or anywhere else.
