Old Brown Sherry by Sedgwicks

£13.69

£18.25 per litre · incl. 20% VAT

In Stock

Affectionately known as 'Obies' back home, this is South Africa's original old brown sherry, launched in 1916 and still a cult classic across the Cape. Made in the Spanish Oloroso style, it's gently sweet, warmly nutty, and instantly recognisable. A taste of home for expats, a discovery for everyone else.

Not for sale to persons under 18. Adult signature required on delivery.

Region

Western Cape, South Africa

Drinking Window

Non-vintage fortified, ready to drink on release. Once opened, will keep its character for 4-6 weeks if recorked and stored cool; the high alcohol and oxidative style mean it is far more forgiving than table wine after opening.

UK wide delivery

Expert curated

Sourced direct

Our Verdict

We stock Obies because no South African pantry in the UK is really complete without one, and because it genuinely punches above its price. There's a softness to the Oloroso style here, a nuttiness that sits somewhere between roasted hazelnut and dried fig, that you simply don't get from supermarket cream sherries. It's a regular reorder for our expat customers, and we love introducing it to British drinkers who've never tried a proper old brown. Brilliant beside the fire, even better in the kitchen. A century of South African evenings can't be wrong.

Tasting Notes

Pour a glass and the colour tells the story first, deep amber heading toward walnut brown. The nose leads with roasted hazelnut and toffee, layered with dried fig, orange peel and a whisper of caramelised wood. On the palate it's gently sweet rather than syrupy, with flavours of raisin, soft toffee, brown sugar and toasted almond carrying through to a warm, nutty finish. That oloroso-style oxidative character gives it a savoury edge that stops the sweetness ever feeling cloying.

Roasted Hazelnut

Classic oloroso-style nuttiness, toasted hazelnut and almond skin sit at the heart of every sip, giving warmth and savoury depth.

Toffee And Brown Sugar

A gentle sweetness reminiscent of soft toffee, dark muscovado and treacle, comforting without ever turning sticky or one-dimensional.

Dried Fig And Raisin

Concentrated stone-fruit sweetness, fig, sultana and date, the unmistakable signature of a fortified wine made for slow sipping.

Orange Peel Warmth

A lift of candied orange and bitter citrus zest cuts through the richness, giving the finish a fresh, slightly spiced glow.

About This Wine

If you grew up anywhere near a South African kitchen, you already know Obies. Sedgwick's Old Brown has been the country's go-to fortified since 1916, the first of its kind on the Cape, and still the one everyone reaches for when the evenings turn cool or the recipe calls for a splash of something nutty and rich.

Made in the Spanish Oloroso style, it pours a deep, glossy nut-brown with that unmistakable aroma of toasted almonds, dried fig, raisin and a whisper of caramel. The palate is gently sweet rather than cloying, with a warming, savoury depth and a long, soft finish. It's the kind of drink that fills the room, comforting, slightly old-fashioned in the best possible way, and deeply, unmistakably South African.

The base wine comes from chenin blanc and colombard grown across the Western Cape's warmer inland districts, where the sun does the heavy lifting and the grapes ripen with the natural sugar needed for proper fortification. The result is built for versatility: sip it neat after dinner with a slab of dark chocolate or a wedge of mature Cheddar, pour a generous tot into your oxtail or bobotie, or splash it through a sticky pudding sauce.

For any South African in the UK who misses home, a bottle of Obies on the shelf is non-negotiable. We ship across Britain, usually within a few days, and it makes a thoughtful gift for anyone who grew up with it, or anyone curious about the Cape's most enduring classic.

Food Pairing

Brilliant after dinner with a wedge of mature Cheddar, a slice of sticky toffee pudding, or simply a handful of roasted nuts and dark chocolate. It also earns its keep in the kitchen, splashed into beef stews, sticky marinades, or poured over vanilla ice cream. On a cold British evening, a small glass beside the fire is the whole point.

—Sticky toffee pudding with clotted cream
—Mature Cheddar with quince paste and walnuts
—Dark chocolate truffles or salted caramel tart
—Roasted almonds and dried figs after dinner
—Drizzled over good vanilla ice cream

How to Serve

Temperature

Lightly chilled or at cool cellar temperature. Twenty minutes in the fridge before serving sharpens the nutty character beautifully.

Decanting

No decanting required. This is an oxidative style that has already spent years in contact with air, so it's ready to pour straight from the bottle. A quick swirl in the glass is all it needs.

Glass

A small tulip-shaped sherry copita or a stemmed liqueur glass concentrates the toffee and nut aromas perfectly.

Cellaring

Store upright in a cool, dark cupboard. Unopened bottles will hold for years; once opened, recork and finish within four to six weeks for peak flavour.

Ageing & Cellaring

There's no need to cellar this, it's an oxidatively aged, non-vintage blend designed to drink the moment you bring it home. Once opened, the high alcohol and oloroso style mean it'll hold its character for four to six weeks recorked and kept somewhere cool and dark.

The Winemaking

Made in the Spanish oloroso style, the base wine is fortified with grape spirit and then left to age oxidatively, which is where that deep nutty-brown colour and warm, mellow character come from. Multiple years are blended together to keep the house style consistent from bottle to bottle, smoothing out any vintage variation. The result is a fortified wine that sits comfortably on the sweeter side, with the kind of rounded, gently caramelised depth that only comes from time and air.

The Western Cape Region

Le Domaine draws its fruit from vineyards scattered across the Western Cape, from coastal sites cooled by Atlantic breezes to warmer inland slopes, all planted between 50 and 300 metres above sea level. This broad sourcing is deliberate. By blending components from different microclimates, the cellar builds a consistent house style that balances the crisp acidity of cooler sites with the ripe generosity of warmer ones. It's the Western Cape's extraordinary diversity captured in a single glass.

About the Producer

Sedgwicks

The story starts with Captain James Sedgwick, a British sea captain who came ashore in Wellington in 1850 and set up a distillery that's still operating today. Old Brown itself launched in 1916, which makes it South Africa's original oloroso-style fortified, and more than a century on, it remains a genuine cultural fixture. Affectionately known as 'Obies' back home, it crosses every demographic line you can think of, poured at family gatherings, winter braais and quiet evenings in equal measure. The James Sedgwick Distillery in Wellington is now part of the wider Distell group and also home to Three Ships and Bain's Cape Mountain Whisky, but Old Brown is the heritage piece, the bottle that built the brand.

Learn More →