Three Ships 6 Years Old batch 1 (53.7%, TBWC, 1150 Bottles, 2018)

Whisky Review

• ABV: 53.7%
• Age: 6 years Old
• Bottling: That Boutique-Y Whisky Company
• Category: South African single malt whisky
• Cost: £77.95
• Origin: James Sedgwick Distillery
• Vintage: undeclared

Image courtesy of Master of Malt

What they say

The first bottling of South African whisky from That Boutique-y Whisky Company! It’s a 6 year old Three Ships single malt whisky from the James Sedgwick Distillery in Wellington, South Africa, featuring master distiller Andy Watts upon the label. He’s finishing filling up that cask with tasty whisky and is just sealing it up with a rather unusual tool – a cricket bat from Derbyshire County Cricket Club (the team Andy Watts used to play for!).

Batch 1 is a release of 1,150 bottles.

Official tasting notes:

• Nose: Raisins and syrupy plums notes quickly blend into dark muscovado sugar, milky latte and toasty vanilla. Charred oak, mulch and husky malt maintain the dark, earthy profile.
• Palate: Punchy wood spice, treacle sponge, some brown bread and damson compôte at first. Pinot Noir, bitter salted chocolate and earthy herbal qualities blend underneath.
• Finish: Long and a little leathery, with some spearmint hints and soft earth.
• Overall: An enthralling tipple that presents like its three times its age and is full of pleasant surprises.

What I say

Three Ships single malt whisky, hailing from the James Sedgwick distillery in South Africa. This example was the first bottled by That Boutique-Y Whisky Company, presumably from a vatting of at least 2 casks (to achieve 1,150 50cl bottles).

This post was sponsored by That Boutique-Y Whisky Company by provision of a sample.

My tasting notes:

• Appearance: Autumnal gold (13/20), quick, medium-large tears and long, fine legs.
• Nose: Sweet woody and nutty with chestnuts and acorns, oaky wood, brown sugars, praline, a touch of linseed, banana, apple, cereal barley, preach, apricot, coffee and chocolate.
• Taste: Much more toffee, coffee and chocolate on the palate, sweet and earthy initially but very spicy, cinnamon, nutmeg and a peppery blast, then polished oak wood. Reduced much more vanilla
• Finish: Medium, sweet and spicy.

Overall

Great nose but far too strong on the palate, too spirity and spicy, needed plenty of water to reveal polished butterscotch and that toffee/coffee from the nose.

Score 80/100

Don’t take my word for it:

Bloggers submit link to your review