The proudly South African Three Ships Premium Select 5 Year Old received yet another gold medal, this time at the 2014 International Spirits Challenge (ISC) held annually in London.
The whisky, a blend of grain and malt whiskies, is crafted by master distiller Andy Watts, who for the past 23 years has firmly placed the South African whisky industry on the global map. The whisky is produced at The James Sedgwick's Distillery in the Boland town of Wellington, along with the Three Ships Select, Three Ships Bourbon Cask and the limited-edition Three Ships 10 Year Old Single Malt.
The Three Ships Premium Select 5 Year Old is a tribute to the time Andy spent on the Isle of Islay where many years ago, he fell in love with the island and its iconic peaty whiskies. Andy uses peated barley, distilled in copper stills along with grain spirit, distilled in column stills, to create a beautifully balanced and well-integrated blended whisky. The whisky spends five years in oak developing its aromatic, full peaty and fruity character. Andy recommends enjoying this full bodied whisky neat with a dash of water and pairing it with blue cheese, chicken liver pâté, smoked chicken or Pancetta.
The Three Ships Premium Select 5 Year Old is available from leading liquor outlets and retails for about R125.