Ondjaba Gravino The Namibian Triple Grain Whiskey

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 46% | Chill filtration: No

Special Features:

The Gravino cask finish links this Triple Grain whisky to wine production at Erongo Mountain Winery. Part of its maturation takes place in casks that previously held Gravino, a Namibian port-style fortified wine. These casks contribute forest fruit, cherry and almond notes while also shaping the sweet, spicy smoky character.

The three grains used include mahangu, the pearl millet native to Namibia. After malting, it is dried over a fire fuelled by dried elephant dung. This drying method produces a smokiness distinct from peat smoke. The whisky is distilled several times and bottled at 46% alcohol in 0.7-litre bottles. It is neither chill-filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, sweet, spicy smoke mingles with the scent of incense. Toffee, almond pieces and forest fruit jam are joined by freshly grated orange zest.
• Palate: On the palate, ripe cherries, red grapes and juicy plums sit alongside spicy pipe smoke. Flame-scorched sandalwood and oiled oak provide a woody counterpoint to the fruit. Figs and mandarins emerge as the flavours develop.
• Finish: The long finish lingers with pleasant spice and sweet smoke. Fresh citrus notes emerge intermittently.

Distillery/Bottler:

Erongo Mountain Winery lies beside the Omaruru River in Namibia, at an altitude of around 1,200 metres, surrounded by the mountains of the Erongo region. Alongside wine, it produces Ondjaba whisky in its distillery. The name Ondjaba means “elephant” in the language of the Ovambo and refers to the unusual fuel used to smoke the grain.

For its whiskies, the winery sources mahangu from farmers in northern Namibia, where pearl millet has been cultivated for thousands of years. Combining winemaking and distillation allows it to use its own former wine and fortified-wine casks. In the high-altitude maturation warehouses, temperatures vary considerably between day and night and between seasons. These conditions encourage interaction between spirit and wood and accelerate maturation.

Facts: