Distillery

James Sedgwick whiskies

James Sedgwick is a distillery in Wellington, in South Africa’s Western Cape province, at the foot of the mountains near Cape Town. It is the only whisky distillery in South Africa producing on a large scale, and it makes the country’s two best-known whisky brands: Bain’s Cape Mountain, a grain whisky, and Three Ships, a range of blends and malts.

Founded
Owner
Origin
South Africa
In the catalogue
3 whiskies

History, style and where to start

3 whiskies

Guide to James Sedgwick

History

The distillery was founded at the end of the 19th century and for decades made brandy and other spirits. In the second half of the 20th century it began to focus on whisky, and in the 1970s Three Ships was born, which would become the most recognised South African whisky brand. Later came Bain’s, a grain whisky named after a 19th-century road engineer who opened a mountain pass near Wellington. The distillery was for years part of the South African group Distell, now part of Heineken.

House style

The house style is sweet and smooth. Bain’s is a corn grain whisky matured twice in first-fill bourbon casks, with vanilla, caramel, fruit and gentle spice. The warm Cape climate speeds up maturation. Three Ships offers blends and malts, some with light peat. It is a friendly, accessible style, designed to be enjoyed without complications, neat, on the rocks or in mixed drinks. Bain’s is a good example of the potential of southern hemisphere whisky, and an interesting curiosity for those who collect whiskies from unusual countries.

Average flavour profile of its 3 whiskies in the catalogue

Sweet
3.3
Fresh fruit
2.3
Ripe and dried fruit
0.7
Floral and herbal
1.0
Cereal and malt
1.7
Vanilla and creamy
2.8
Oak
1.3
Spicy
1.7
Toasted
0.8
Smoky
0.8
Maritime
0.0
Body and intensity
1.8

Where to start

Start with Bain’s Cape Mountain, a good way to discover African whisky. Try it neat or in a highball. If you like grain whisky, compare it with Fuji Single Grain or The Chita to see other interpretations of this style. It’s an easy way to travel in a glass to a country with a distilling tradition little known in Europe. If you prefer blends, Three Ships Select and the five-year-old show the other side of the house.

This text was generated and translated by AI and may contain errors.

Explore more