Balfour Gin

Balfour Gin is distilled in the rolling hills of the Gold City, with a deep-rooted heritage in the Eastern Cape. A celebrated history that runs from the 16th century, closely intertwined with the Great prophet Ntsikana, and fierce colonial resistance. Arising from the Battle of Cihoshe on the Great Fish River, where the ford of Cihoshe divides the salt from the fresh water at the mouth of the Great Fish River. This inspiration revives the spirit of King Gando we-Ntshaba, the heir of King Ngconde of the Xhosa kingdom, our forefather, a valiant and true fighter who refused coercion, betrayed by his own blood, made a royal castaway and settled by the Kwayi River, now known as The Great Kei River was named in his honour. When European settlers arrived in the Xhosa Kingdom, they incorrectly referred to this river as Kei River rather than Kwayi River, the river of the aMakwayi clan. The Balfour Gin is born from the chronicles of Noyi, an early Xhosa convert to Christianity, a founder of the Lovedale Missionary Station in the Transkei, who at Ncerha, translated the New Testament into Xhosa in 1834. Noyi after his Christian baptism, assumed the name Robert Balfour, after the great Scottish scholar Dr Balfour of Glasgow. Noyi was the son of Gciniswa a direct descendant of Ngconde, a former Great King of the Xhosas. Noyi a father to Makhaphela & Grandfather to Menziwa our Great-Great-Grandfather. This Premium Craft Gin boasts of its strong colors displaying our Xhosa culture and Africanness, a culmination of a dream and a reflection of his personal style. The pride and passion of our forefathers who converted to Christianity in 1823, storied and instrumental in translating the New Testament into IsiXhosa. A unique blend of history, royalty and contemporary, accentuated with bright aromas and herbal notes makes this Gin proudly standalone and balanced with sweet rounded tones.