Three Ships TELLS THE STORY OF JAN VAN RIEBEECK’S JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY 

In December 1651, Jan van Riebeeck of the Dutch East India Company set sail from the Netherlands. His was the momentous task of crossing the stormy southern seas to set up a pioneering refreshment station at the Cape of Good Hope.

Three Ships Whisky commemorates his epic voyage with the release of a limited edition collector’s tin – the last in a series of three – containing the brand’s superior 10-Year-Old Single Malt Whisky, and depicting the three ships that formed Van Riebeeck’s little fleet. Just 8 000 bottles of the whisky have been produced for the series which pays tribute to intrepid seafarers whose names will always be associated with the Cape.  Having honoured Bartholomew Diaz in 2010 and Vasco da Gama in 2011, this year it is the turn of Jan van Riebeeck.

This single malt – South Africa’s one and only – was launched in November 2003, with an offering of just 6 000 bottles which were sold out within six months.  “We know South African connoisseurs appreciate a good single malt, but we did not know how well they would react to one produced locally,” says SA brand manager Marcel Swain. “Clearly there is a demand for first-class, affordable whisky, and what better way than to offer this exceptional single malt as part of a limited collector’s edition.”

Swain says just like Diaz, Da Gama and Van Riebeeck, Three Ships set sail into unknown territory when it launched its first single malt.

The ten-year-old is the creation of master distiller Andy Watts, who is based at The James Sedgwick Distillery in Wellington, Western Cape, that is also home to the brand. “With its natural warm copper colour, this full-bodied whisky has a hint of peat but without associated smoke. The estery notes add a slighty sweet fragrance hinting of dried fruit and fudge. It has a long, warm finish with a good balance between the wood and the whisky,” Watts explains.

The three-tin collection will be the ideal keepsake for discerning whisky lovers. It is available from selected bottle stores countrywide and retails at about R220 per bottle. Share the journey of discovery and visit the Three Ships Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/ThreeShips.