This is the inaugural release from the Helden Distillery and the first in their Innovate Range, which seeks to "accelerate" aging and bring products to market while their traditional whisky matures in cask. This small batch, single malt spirit is made from specially roasted and South African malts, and then distilled in a combination pot and column still. It is matured in 100-litre containers with Hickory wood added for further flavour development. Only 143 bottles were produced. Non-chillfiltered, naturally coloured and bottled at 46%. (Bottle size 500ml)

Nose: Delightfully lively pepper and fruit balanced over a light malty nutty sweetness.

Palate: A distinctly creamy body filled with bittersweet spice.

Finish: A lingering round and warm finish.

Located in the picturesque Vredefort Dome, a Unesco World Heritage area and the world's largest verified meteor impact site, the Helden Distillery's story started when, at the age of 17, lead distiller, Pieter van Helden was first exposed to the concept of distillation. After falling in love with what the distillation process can do, he gradually matured from producing hobby level fruit brandies (locally known as "mampoer") to focusing on the art of whisky. With a passion for Africa and innovation, the concept of African Style Whisky was born in 2017, and the Helden Distillery was founded in 2018. The high skill level of the team can be seen in the fact that between the founding team members they share at least 5 doctorates in both Chemistry and Chemical Engineering.