SAV’S PICK OF THE MONTH

Each month, Saverio Cardillo, whisky savant and owner of Joburg’s Bottega Whiskey Club, gives us his tip on the top tipple to get your hands on.

June’s pick: Why?

The Glenlivet Code. And now for something completely different. Over the past few years, the guys at Glenlivet have an annual “mystery whisky”. The third in the series, Code (following on from Cipher and Alpha) has just made its debut. As with its predecessors, there are no notes on what’s gone into Code. It comes in a black bottle and you’re basically encouraged to taste for yourself and try to figure it out.

Sounds like a gimmick? We thought so too but it turns out to be a staggeringly excellent tasting whisky, one we’d strongly advise you to try.

The deal:

The tasting notes will be available only at the end of the year so, until then, you’re going to have to rely on Sherlock-style deduction. Cardillo says this is an incredibly balanced and layered “dessert in a glass”, a little vanilla custard of a drink to savour again and again. It’s absolutely not peaty and there’s probably been some ageing in European oak casks.

“Whatever the details of this Speyside single malt turn out to be, the Glenlivet team have outdone themselves,” adds Cardillo.

Whisky to buy right now

For more info and to buy Sav’s pick, visit bottegawhiskey.com The is giving away a bottle of whisky, courtesy of Bottega Whiskey Club, to the writer of our best reader’s letter for June. The winner will be notified by us and have the whisky delivered...

Westley Muller (left) and Nic van Wyk