For those joining in only now… the gift of a Paul John Quartet provided an opportunity to sample four whisky expressions from Goa. Of the quartet, the Paul John Classic was a clear favourite for many!

Paul John Classic Select Cask 55.2% (Whisky Lady)

The Paul John Classic Select Cask is an unpeated single malt whisky matured in ex-bourbon barrels and bottled without chill-filtration at cask strength.

Paul John Classic Select Cask NAS 55.2%

Nose

• Instant ‘very nice’, sense of this being more what we would expect in a whisky, lots of tropical fruits, fresh-cut grass. Not in the least peaty. A whiff of toasted coconut. As it breathed, gained a musky quality like a mens cologne. Then some basil, lemon and honey.
• Cognac-like, almost zesty, very complex, cupcakes, grapes
• “I’m expecting a really nice cognac but I’m sure it can’t be that tasty..” (quote from a serious cognac fan)

Taste

• Strong, bitter, banana, coffee, pepper, honey and rasins, figs, more body and more viscous than Brilliance or Edited, a bit of allspice
• Sugary sweet, marmalade, chocolatey caramel, banana, brown sugar, like caramelised Caribbean bananas with rum raisin sauce
• A light fresh quality yet balanced and rich with enough going on to keep it interesting…
• “Wow! Oh good god! It’s delicious! Even better than cognac!” (cognac fan quote – highest compliment he can give!)
• “An almost tequila-like agave sweetness”

Finish

• Nearly all remarked this was the first Paul John Single Malt sampled with a ‘serious’ finish that truly lingered
• Some found it started slightly bitter then took on a minty mellowness
• One simply remarked – “Time to do a happy dance!”

Water 

• A few found a few drops balanced it out and softened further
• Most preferred it neat and found it delightfully smooth ‘as is’

Overall impressions:

There is a hot sunlight summery quality to Classic. It has the richer bourbon dimension, bursting with ripe juicy tropical fruits along with spicy elements yet there is something bright and fresh too. Perhaps it was influence of the Guyanese / Caribbean connect in our midst the 2nd tasting session or that we were sweltering in Mumbai’s humid summer heat, yet there was a sense this whisky has  lazy tropical sunshine down pat.

Particularly in the informal evening, it was the clear favourite with folks quite impressed. Most could not believe how smooth it was… particularly for a cask strength whisky. To have such a whisky be from India – let’s just say there was a swell of pride by extension for the country we call ‘home.’

When compared with India’s better known Single Malt producer Amrut and – more specifically the whiskies sampled in March with Jim Murray – there was a recognition that Paul John has something quite interesting going on. Certainly worth paying attention to – particularly the quality Classic has captured. The only pity is that Paul John whiskies are not yet available in Mumbai!

Paul John Classic (Whisky Lady)

And the Paul John tasting notes for Classic? Here goes…

Feel the tropical tastes of Goa from the first whiff and taste.

This is a masterfully crafted Indian Single Malt  Whisky, matured in selectively chosen cask profiles.

The barley shows early and with pride. A bourbon manic honey-liquorice mix makes for an attractive spine with toasted honeycomb arriving somewhere in the middle unexpectedly.

This is as tropical as it gets.

Paul John Classic label (Whisky Lady)

Sampling quartet – all NAS:

• Paul John Brilliance Single Malt 46%
• Paul John Edited Single Malt 46%
• Paul John Classic Select Cask 55.2%
• Paul John Peated Select Cask 55.5%

Paul John Quartet – Brilliance, Edited, Classic and Peated (Whisky Lady)

What others are saying:

• Whisky Saga
• Whisky Corner
• Somerset Whisky
• Whisky Chronicle

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