The SA Brandy Foundation has long been a proud supporter of Elsenburg and its work in preserving one of the country’s oldest traditions – the art of brandy-making.

“Getting the students excited about brandy ensures that a new generation of master distillers will be available to the industry,” says SA Brandy Foundationgeneral manager, Danie Pretorius.

The Elsenburg 13 Year Old Potstill Brandy was bottled on Monday, 21 October – the institution’s first on record since 1898. The brandy is certified and made from Colombard grapes that are grown on the Elsenburg farm near Stellenbosch. All production processes are carried out by the final year Cellar Technology students and the distillation takes place in a copper potstill donated by the South African Brandy Foundation in 1991.

Only a limited amount of bottles of the Elsenburg potstill brandy were produced and the Department of Agriculture in the Western Cape plans to make this a yearly commitment.

“The quality truly reflects the exceptional dedication of the students and staff involved,” says Elsenburg acting winemaker, Lorraine Geldenhuys, who oversaw the cellar team responsible for the historic product.

Like brandy, which was first distilled in the Cape in 1672, Elsenburg has heritage built over centuries. Its history dates back to 1698, when the land that is its home was allocated to Samuel Elsevier by Willem Adriaan van der Stel, the governor of the Cape colony at that time. The farm’s successive owners built it up to one of the prime farms in the Cape. It was sold to the government in 1898, when the Agricultural College, the first of its kind in South Africa, opened its doors.

The establishment of the Diploma in Cellar Technology in 1976 strengthened Stellenbosch’s reputation as the historical home of the country’s wine industry. Many of South Africa’s winemakers have received their training at Elsenburg and have gone on to achieve great heights as brandy distillers too.

“This fine potstilled brandy is the result Lorraine Geldenhuys’ unlimited passion for the spirit,” says Pretorius. “The Elsenburg cellar has been absolutely brandified and we are immensely proud of her and the students.”

The Elsenburg 13 Year Old Potstill Brandy has been dressed in a sleek 500ml bottle with refined livery.

For more information, email [email protected] or visit www.sabrandy.co.za.