Indian Whisky
Indian whisky includes some of the top-selling whiskey brands in the world, but it is defined and regulated very differently than American or European-made whisky. In fact, most of the whisky produced in India, which is designated IMFP or “Indian-made foreign liquor,” contains spirit distilled from molasses (essentially rum). Indian whisky may also be flavored or blended with other spirits (often imported Scotch). While most Indian whisky is made in this way, some 100% grain-based whisky is also produced that adheres to international standards, most of it by two distilleries: Amrut Distilleries and John Distilleries (makers of Paul John Single Malt). Whiskies from these distilleries are typically bottled much younger than their European competitors (3 to 5 years old), owing to India’s extremely hot and humid climate which reportedly ages whisky roughly three times faster than in Europe.
Top Indian Whisky Posts:
Tasting Indian Rum and Whisky with Amrut’s Ashok Chokalingam
Paul John Bold Indian Single Malt Whisky
Amrut Spectrum 004 Single Malt Whisky
Amrut put Indian single malt on the map way back in 2004, and since that time they’ve built up quite the whisky portfolio (along with other spirits like rum). We recently reviewed Amrut Fusion, which is perhaps their best-known bottle in the U.S. That whisky is a marriage of 75% unpeated Indian barley and 25%…
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We’ve previously covered Rampur Select, the entry level expression of this Indian single malt whisky, and now we’re taking a step up. Rampur Double Cask is aged in a mix of bourbon barrels and sherry casks, though no age statements are included. Let’s give it a try. The nose is warm and grain forward, but…
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We’ve been fans of the Indian distillery Amrut for some time (reviews can be found here and here), but haven’t previously reviewed one of their most popular offerings, Amrut Fusion. This NAS single malt whisky was introduced in 2009 and has a popular following around the world. Its name derives from the fact that it…
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Rampur is the flagship product of Radico Khaitan, which makes Jaisalmer Gin, which we recently reviewed. Rampur’s line of single malts currently stretches to four expressions, with Select being the most readily available. There’s no age statement or production information (including cask data) available, but judging from the color it’s a fairly youthful bottling aged…
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Curious where you’ll find the 8th largest rum brand in the world? Look to India, where Amrut has been pumping out the stuff since the 1960s (though the company dates back to 1948). Today, Amrut is probably best known in the U.S. as a whisky distiller, thanks to the efforts of Whisky Innovator and Assistant Distiller Ashok…
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Not many bars can throw their own whiskey festival, but when a bar happens to have the largest selection of whiskey in the Western Hemisphere, it becomes an ideal setting. Jack Rose Dining Saloon in Washington, DC held its inaugural and appropriately named Premier Drams festival on March 25, and we were invited. The bar…
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Hey, look who’s not breaking his foot this year! Last year’s Whiskies of the World Expo was cut extremely short for me, but this year, safety was the name of the game. (Reminder: Don’t text while on the stairs, kids!) I spent a lot more time than usual on American whiskeys this year, reflecting an…
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Whiskey festivals come in all shapes and sizes, but WhiskyLIVE consistently produces a very approachable event for a fan at any stage in their whiskey obsession. There’s a good balance of offerings from industry heavy hitters and smaller craft outfits, as well as the occasional downright weird bottling. This year, I got to taste whiskey…
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It’s our tenth anniversary, and our tenth holiday gift guide! After more than 5500 posts — the bulk of them product reviews — we’ve written millions of words on all things quaffable, and as always, we select the cream of the crop to highlight in our annual holiday buying guide. Consider it a “best of…
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Born and raised in the Goa region of India, Paul John continues to push out new expressions of its single malt whiskies — inspired by Scotland but unique to this part of the world. The latest expression — you can check out our previous Paul John coverage here — is Paul John Bold, a heavily…
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