Master Distiller of single grain whisky, Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky, Mr. Andy Watts, has said that whisky distillers in Africa must continue to adhere to industry standards to become global brands.
Watts, in a statement on Thursday, said this was part of the success secrets that won his firm a recent global recognition.
According to him the distillery’s commitment to quality production process and utilisation of naturally available local raw materials were also key to the recognition.
Watts, whose brand recently occupied the global centre-stage as the world’s best grain whisky during the World Whisky Awards ceremony held in London recently, said that the maturation process adopted by his distillery in brewing its whisky was a unique process.
He said the whisky is made to undergo a double maturation process, whereby the spirit is placed in oak barrels and matured for a minimum of three years, after which the drink is revatted for additional two years before it is bottled for consumption.
According to him, whiskies do not age while they are in the bottle.
“Rather, maturation is achieved years before bottling. Absolute skill and passion goes into each bottle, utilizing only the finest grain and double maturation process to produce a lightly flavoured, refined spirit that can be discovered in each and every sip,” he explained.
“One of the most important aspects of a premium whisky is not only what it is made of, but where it is from. Bane’s Cape Mountain Whisky is distilled and matured in one of South Africa’s most picturesque regions – The Bain’s Kloof Pass in the western town of Wellington- setting it apart from any other whisky produced in the world,” Watts stressed.