I needed a night out of town and I was on a mission to find not only an adventure, but a hidden gem that would keep me coming back again and again. I have a selective and acquired taste for whiskey, but my range is quite limited and I strongly believe in being taught by professionals.
Now, let me tell you about my journey. I started out my search for whiskey bars and I did not have to search far or wide. Stumbling on this only-one-of-its-kind in the Western Cape whiskey library, I was sold by the mere thought of over 850 whiskeys all in one place.
Jacques found this treasure in 2020 and rooted this collectors library at Rust and Vrede in Durbanville. We were lucky enough to have our tasting experience hosted by the founder and collector himself – tailored to our needs. This experience was even better than I imagined as we were whisked away on an exploration in tasting some of the best whiskeys around the globe.
We started off with a Greenspot all the way from Ireland, then off to Scottland for a 15year old Glenfiddich and then living The Scotch Malt Whisky Society life by ending off with Oven-ready Moomin.
What excites me the most is that I can go back again and again (an believe me I will be back) and not have the same whiskeys in a row – 850 combinations to try to be exact. For my next visit, I will be sure to spoil myself with a cigar -another library all on its own to travel though.
Catch them here:
https://thewhiskylibrary.co.za/