Drinking my first Bains and water from Newlands Spring was a revelation. Aside from the gorgeous ritual of collecting drinking water at the Spring and the connection with other members of the community while standing in line, the water tastes great.
The absence of the slight tinny-ness, that ghost of a chemical whiff that I usually experience as a smell and a feeling rather than a taste, is much more surprising than its presence. So used to the poisoning am I that the absence is noteworthy.
This will be my new ritual, lining up to collect fresh and delicious mountain water rather than drinking from the tap, or the total madness of buying bottled water.
It is for similar reasons that I stopped drinking my whiskey from the land of my forefathers. Yes, each bottle definitely had collected too many airmiles and there are too many shareholders in the chain, but mostly it was the taste that converted me.
Bains Cape Mountain whisky is complex and delicious yet somehow friendly and easy-going. It has a dash of spiciness, more than a hint of oak and smoke, and an overall super smooth finish.