Sniff and Sip….

The historic “sniff and sip” brandy journey at South Africa’s premier brandy destination is definitely a highlight to be experienced. The Oude Molen brandy distillery is located in the Overberg town of Elgin along the N2 highway and still produces award-winning brandies according to the traditional methods as laid down by the father of South African brandy, René Santhagens in 1910.

The Oude Molen brandy distillery is situated on a 12.6 hectare property with breathtaking vistas and tranquil mountain surroundings. The Oude Molen Visitors Centre is well-known for its warm ambience and offers visitors an insightful, audio-visual brandy tour and a tasting of the exceptional pot-stilled, oak matured brandy.

The architecture of the distillery hall is appealingly voluminous and revolves around the original copper pot stills installed by Oude Molen master distiller, Dave Acker.

These impressive copper pot stills are believed to be the largest brandy pot stills in South Africa. Dave Acker refers to them as the big guns in the brandy distilling business and affectionately named them Big Bertha and Long Tom, nicknames of artillery pieces used in the Franco Prussian War and the Boer War respectively. He strongly believes that the large curved areas of the pots allow for greater condensation of the alcohol vapours and therefore creates a purer distillate, which is a characteristic notably discernable in the smoothness of Oude Molen brandies.

Oude Molen VOV 14-year old was judged Best Brandy in the World three times at the prestigious International Wine & Spirit Competition held in London in both 1999, 2001 and 2008. Oude Molen VOV is matured for 14 years to create its distinctive rich complexity. The brandy has a mellow smoothness with a rich amber colour and hints of wood and nuttiness on the nose. The slightly sweet notes of vanilla and a soft spiciness on the palate give a long lingering and satisfying finish.

The centre is open daily from Monday to Friday between 08h30 – 17h00.

Distillery tours are conducted daily by appointment and light lunches and refreshments can be organised after the tour by prior arrangement. Cellar tours on Saturdays and Sundays are also available by appointment for groups consisting of more than 10 people.

For further information and bookings, contact Oude Molen on 021 859 2517 or visit www.oudemolen.co.za