Whisky lovers rejoice, there’s a new style of whisky coming your way, and it has a distinctly South African flavour. With its warm, amber hue, Toor, a new entrant onto the South African whisky scene, has released the first of a collective of whiskies set to challenge the whisky category in South Africa.
The adventurous new spirit is the result of a clever collaboration between South Africa’s Redford Beverages and Doña Distillery. Produced with 100% local grain and matured in ex-bourbon American oak casks for 5 years before being finished in French oak casks, the first Toor whisky is an easy-drinking, smooth and fruity grain whisky.
Its double maturation process yields a rich, smooth whisky with vanilla and roasted oak flavours. a well-balanced nutty, caramel and stone-fruit palate with a well-refined finish and hints of maple and earth.
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It can only be called a South African kind of magic.
Doña – which means woman of rank – is a craft distillery in Cape Town run by female distiller, Daniella Schoeman, who has also recently started distilling and ageing her own grain whisky. For this release, the team from the distillery and Redford Beverages managed the sourcing, blending and ageing to deliver the taste profile they were aiming for.
Danielle explains the distilling process for Toor, “The double maturation process is where the spirit is matured in one cask, then spends time in a case of a different origin. It allows for a greater degree of flavour and aroma complexity to develop in the whisky and the blending process is also significantly escalated. This form of marrying also allows for greater control over the final product.”
Graduating from Stellenbosch University with a business degree, Danielle worked in the corporate world for 6 years. She traded in her heels for tekkies and followed her heart to the Karoo where she experimented with making tequila. This journey led her to establish Doña Distillery with the aim to bring new and exciting spirits to the local and international market.
When asked what the perfect Toor serve is, Danielle and the team agree: “It’s simply the one you enjoy best: neat, on the rocks, in a cocktail, with a mixer, or with a splash of water. Either way, you cannot go wrong.” The whisky is ideal for anyone looking for the best South African spirits. With its easy-drinking nature, Toor is a great whisky for new whisky drinkers just starting to dip their toes in the world of whisky.
Toor is exploring and experimenting with various barrel and non-traditional South African wood options including the likes of pinotage, rum and other barrels for further releases in the Toor Collective which will follow later this year and as more liquid matures over the coming years.
Toor is available at a RRP of R299.99.
