Category Archives: India

Paris Whisky Live – Exploring India’s Rampur Jugalbandi, Asava and Double Cask

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We were first introduced to Rampur Single Malt in 2017 when we tried an early release of Rampur “Select” (06/2016) 43%. We found it quite promising and so I was delighted to see the folks from Rampur had a booth at Paris Whisky Live – and even better, they were releasing new expressions that weekend!

As this was a festival environment, I’ve only jotted down a few impressions – enough to get a ‘feel’ for the whisky but nothing that can be relied on as a proper sense of what each expression brings to the table.

In classical Indian music, a “jugalbandi” is a playful duet of two solo musicians – one plays and the other responds with a further variation – a kind of musical “one upmanship” that delights the audience with its flourishes and embellishes leading to a fabulous crescendo as both the instrumentalists combine their solos into a resounding duo finish!

We were delighted to discover that these Rampur “Jugalbandi” expressions were released just that Sept 2022 weekend of Paris Whisky Live – what fun!

Rampur Jugalbandi #1 56.1% (approx Eur 120) Red ie left in the above photo

Our whisky guide shared this whisky came from casks matured first in Bourbon, then in Portuguese Muscatel casks – a combination that, in this case, worked together rather well.

We found that it was intense, heavy, and tropical on the nose (particularly ripe mango!), whereas on the palate we found “gulab” (rose) syrup, coming across more like a dessert wine than whisky, then it shifted to spicier notes. We also tried this one with a small splash of water which we found opened it up nicely.

Rampur Jugalbandi #2 56.3% (approx Eur 120) Green ie left in the above photo

Then it was on to the 2nd in this “jugalbandi“. Again our guide shared that this whisky was the product of both 1st fill ex-bourbon and ex-Calvados casks from Normandy, France – interesting!

Much like the 1st, we found this was an un-whisky-like whisky! Our 1st impression of the aroma was that it was more like a liqueur, with simply loads of tropical fruit – in this case lychee was more prominent than mango! On the palate it was intense and a bit all over the place. Here is where we could first sense the Calvados influence with roasted apples and it closed with a dash of spice.

Our conclusion was this was a rather interesting duo – with a complete contrast between 1 and 2.

Rampur Asava 45% (approx Eur 75)

The next “duo” we sampled was Asava and Double Cask. With Asava, we were told it was matured in ex-Bourbon casks and then finished in Indian ex-Cabernet Sauvignon casks.

The nose rewarded us with luscious berries. The palate was soft with more juicy berries and then some tropical fruit notes. We found the finish was at 1st a citrus twist and then it returned to the berries.

Rampur Double Cask 45% (approx Eur 70)

By contrast, the Double Cask was much more balanced and for us, in some ways quite interesting. A “marriage” of American ex-Bourbon casks and European ex-Sherry casks, we found it the most accessible of the four whiskies sampled. The aroma had tropical fruits and honey, with sweetness and spice perfectly balanced on the palate with a nice long finish.

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London Whisky Show – Colourful Watt Whiskies

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Back in June, I caught in Cape Town, South Africa a rather unpleasant version of COVID. It not only knocked me flat for weeks, it also robbed me of my olfactory senses – a complete disaster for a whisky aficionado!

I’ve often described the experience as akin to seeing only in shades of grey instead of a burst of brilliant rainbow colours. Gradually over the months, some sense of smell has returned but it remains muted compared to the previous clarity – where I could usually easily discern distinct elements, today it can be trickier and I often know there is something more a layer deeper that I just can’t quite penetrate or surface enough to describe. Frustrating indeed… but I’m at least grateful some sense has returned!

This brings me back to colours – in a recent impromptu tasting in Germany, I shared that when first exploring different types of whiskies, one idea is to consider what colour one would associate with that particular whisky profile? This is a great technique to start processing more creative impressions – Does it remind you of a hot and fiery red? A verdant cool green? Or more seaside in style, bringing hints of blue to the fore? What about sunshine yellow?

I’ve seen some “colour coding” before – most recently Gordon & Macphail’s discovery series uses green for ex-bourbon casks, purple for ex-sherry, and grey for peaty drams. However what if the colour wasn’t according to such strict logic?

Enter Watt Whisky – a new independent bottler started by a husband / wife duo Mark and Kate Watt in Campbeltown. As Kate shared, they both came from the industry and decided to set-up their own range with a view to bringing interesting affordable whiskies to the world. The colour approach comes from her husband’s synaesthesia, where he literally smells colours!

We were tipped off that the Paul John was worth checking out, so this was the 1st we sampled.

Intrigued by Kate’s story of how they began their independent bottler journey in challenging times (2019 then….COVID!) with this being their 1st big whisky event, we continued on to the Dunbarton 21 year followed by the Belair Athol 13 year.

We were highly tempted to continue, however, this was getting into the later stage of our whisky wanderings where you know you need to become highly selected else every impression will simply blur together, losing its magic of discovery!

Well worth exploring more another time… enjoy our quick impressions from a small sniff, swish tasting at The Whisky Show London 2022!

Paul John 4 year (2016 / June 2021) 57.1% (Watt Whisky) 1 of 279 bottles

  • Nose – So incredibly tropical – taking the normal PJ tropical fruits and ramping them up several degrees
  • Palate – Intense spice, a bit of a flavour bomb, tropical fruit bowl, chocolate
  • Finish – Ahh… there is that spice shifting into bitter
  • Water – Yes, please!

It was great trying Paul John‘s character as selected by Kate & Mark Watt. What do they have to say:

Fully matured in an underground warehouse in Goa. Tropical fruits, spices, cloves & plums.

We shifted from India back to Scotland with a discontinued Lowland distillery – Dumbarton is a Lowland grain distillery, which also housed Inverleven and Lomond malt distilleries. Previously used primarily in Ballentine’s blends, the distillery closed in 2002 and is now demolished.

Dumbarton 21 year (2000 / June 2022) 57.1% (Watt Whisky) 222 bottles

    • Nose – It started off quietly, gently unfurling, caramel, light smoke
    • Palate – Clearly a grain, what was a light peat influence on the nose became a full-fledged smoke bomb…. frankly more like sipping an ashtray
    • Finish – Closed on more smoke

Wow! I don’t know what exactly I expected. One normally thinks of Lowland grains as being either gentle or harsh alcohol. I think this may be the 1st that I’ve tried which was finished in an ex-Caol Ila Hogshead,

What do the Watt Whisky folks have to say:

Finished for 9 months in an ex-Islay cask. Light, dry smoke, butterscotch, syrupy, ashy and medicinal.

We then moved on to the Highlands with the Blair Athol 13 year (2008 / Sep 2022) 56.7% (Watt Whisky) 301 bottles.

    • Nose – Nice! Extra berry, jammy
    • Palate – Well rounded
    • Finish – Dry and peppery

What a brilliant contrast to Dumbarton! Kate shared it was matured in a Hogshead and then finished in an ex-Red wine cask.

What do the Watt Whisky folks have to say:

Rested in a red wine barrique for 16 months. Strawberries, jelly sweets and cured meats.

This pair – Dumbarton and Blair Athol – had the same coloured labels and yet could not be more different in character! Fascinating.

What fun being introduced to another interesting independent bottler. Wishing Kate & Mark the very best with their venture!

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London Whisky Show – Paul John Mithuna 58%

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We simply could not skip the Paul John section at the London Whisky Show… Paul John has a special spot in my books. I can’t help but admire what Michael has accomplished and how they continue to grow and evolve.

Knowing most of the collection, my eye spotted the accessible entry-level Nirvana, which then carried on to the core range of Brilliance, Edited, and Bold. These were joined by the cask strength range of Classic, Oloroso, and Peated, with the XO Brandy also featured.

Having sampled the previous Zodiac Kanya, I was curious to dive directly into the newer avatar Mithuna. Our tasting guide shared it had matured for approx 7 years in virgin American Oak followed by some further time in a 1st fill ex-bourbon.

What did we think?

Paul John Zodiac Mithuna 58%

  • Nose – Herbal, wild licorice, tropical yet with a lighter touch, malty, wet chopped wood, green and fresh then shifted into chocolate-covered malt balls chased by vanilla
  • Palate – Rich wild honey, intense flavours, thick, chicory and coffee, chocolate-covered candied ginger
  • Finish – Green peppercorns

My tasting companion tried both Zodiac whiskies whereas I only sampled the Mithuna…. both are powerful drams. My companion observed how for him, Paul John works better in an Indian environment where everything around you is simply more intense – the ambient decibel level, the aromas, the colours…

As for me? I remain partial and it reminded me of happy days in Goa, hot morning coffee, warm tropical breeze, and sunshine so blazing you simply have to wander from the beach to the water to cool off! Good times…

What do the good folks over at Paul John have to say?

Mithuna by Paul John, of the Paul John Zodiac series, is named after the Indian counterpart of the 3rd Zodiac sign Gemini.

Unpeated. Non chill-filtered. Matured in American virgin oak casks and finished in ex-bourbon casks.

Hues of old oak and sophisticated aromas of liquorice with gentle beeswax lead to a luxuriant delivery of ulmo honey on crisp toast, and tender notes of vanilla. Chewy flavours of coffee mocha, orange peel and delicate spice float on active tannins while gentle oils enjoy gists of dark cocoa tones. The finish is gratifyingly long and complex with multi-toned sugars and delicate honeys.

Renowned for contradictive strengths, the characteristics of Gemini are epitomized by this Indian single malt as mesmerizing layers of austere, dry tannins are challenged in equal measure by resplendent sugars and mocha on delicate oils.

And what would this set you back in the UK? Approx GBP 210.

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Remarkable Random Range of Whiskies

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What does a Scottish blend from the 1950 / 60s made for a Hamburg distributor and a German malt that barely qualifies as whisky have in common? Or what does a peaty coastal single malt bottled by an Indian distillery have to do with a sophisticated complex Island dram from a much-coveted Indie bottler? And how about the price range from an affordable entry-level Island OB in GBP 20s vs another over 150?! Or sourced from an auction some 40 years after bottling vs direct from bottler within hours of going on sale, to Le Clos Dubai duty-free or available exclusively in Bangalore only… Frankly speaking, they have practically nothing in common beyond a random sweaty evening in Mumbai where they just so happened to be tasted together!

A Remarkable (Random) Range

What a remarkable – if random! – range for a brilliant evening… which was revisited another night in Mumbai with more malt experts!

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A promising new Indian Single Malt – Kamet 42.8%

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There is no doubt in the whisky world that markets like India are important – both as consumers and producers. So when another Indian single malt enters the stage, it is worth checking it out.

So what is Kamet and who is behind it? Kamet is the latest product from Peak Spirits, co-founded by Ansh Khanna and Ken Frederickson with expertise brought by Surrinder Kumar (master blender, 30 years with Amrut) and Nancy Fraley (whiskey and rum blender based in California).

However such credentials aside, what did we think?

Kamet Single Malt 42.8%

  • Nose – Made us think of a cabernet, fruity, fresh red berries, dusty, light aniseed or caraway… as it opened up further we found milk chocolate and toffee… and with even more time it became sweeter and sweeter, like cotton candy
  • Palate – Started with a nice spice kick, tannins, could clearly sense the wine influence, licorice, nicely balanced… as we continued to sip, we also found creamy toffee, overall good mouthfeel with oils
  • Finish – Light spice, a bit dry and dusty
  • Water – Shifted to coconut oil and tobacco leaf

Initially on the palate, I found it quite “wine forward”… with water there was an interesting shift in character to more of an ex-bourbon influence, muting a bit the tannins from the red wine. For me, that worked better.

Overall a promising start indeed and I kept aside a small sample to bring back for the ladies in Europe to try at some point…

What more do we know? It was matured in ex-bourbon, ex-sherry and ex-French wine casks.

Here’s a small excerpt from an interview:

“Ken and I believe that India’s unique conditions and six-row barley — we source ours from the foothills of the Himalayas — make it an exciting place to produce a single malt of great complexity,” says Khanna. Khanna and Frederickson have teamed up with Piccadily Distillery, in Karnal, Haryana, and set themselves a tough benchmark — The Macallan.

In Goa, it can be found for Rs 2,600 – an absolute steal for such quality! However we understand the price is poised to go up soon.

What else did we try that evening?

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Paul John Christmas Present

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Once upon a time, some lovely ladies from Mumbai hopped on a plane for an indulgent  weekend getaway to Goa. This was back in August 2019 and we were on a quest to explore Paul John distillery.

Naturally a highlight of our visit was a tasting – which was no ordinary opportunity! It included an opportunity to sample two limited edition bottles that are deliberately available only in Goa around Christmas / New Years. Even better – they are kept affordable, accessible and celebrate Paul John whiskies unique take on a Christmas spirit.

Paul John Christmas 2019 46%

  • Nose – “Oh what fun!” It had elements of the PX lingonberries mixed with roasted pine nuts
  • Palate – A lovely spice, sweet, satisfying with a hint of peat?
  • Finish – Really rather a nice finish, closing on sweet

Overall this one had great balance – a happy whisky, very shareable, perfect for a social occasion and merry gifting. Priced at approx. INR 4k (USD 50) in Goa, it is excellent value for quality.

What do we know about it? It did indeed spend some time finishing in an ex PX cask with a bit of peated malt mixed in to add some depth. What a fabulous combination!

Paul John Christmas 2018 46%

  • Nose – Now this says Christmas! All those lovely Christmas pudding notes with dates, berries, nuts, densely packed and delicious, topped off with smoke
  • Palate – Also followed through with Christmas cheer, very balanced and well rounded
  • Finish – Was sweet, spice and subtle peat – delightful
  • Water – While normally adding water tends to initially punches up the spice then mellows out a dram, in this case it seemed to accentuate all the elements – bringing them out even more powerfully

Now comparing isn’t really fair, however those who tried both tended to prefer the 2018 edition. Not that the 2019 isn’t a fine dram, just 2018 hit all our Christmas high notes with that extra peat punch that added a certain something!

Both are terrific and frankly if you do happen to stumble across either edition, don’t hesitate to grab a bottle and discover for yourself.

As for 2020? For those lucky enough to be in Goa, do check out the new Christmas 2020 edition… I have little doubt it will be in a similar vein and well worth picking up!

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Paul John Tasting – Goa, Aug 2019

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Another from the archives… the most fabulous weekend getaway to Goa with a couple of the Mumbai Whisky Ladies in August 2019. After a fascinating tour of Paul John distillery, we sat down for a tasting. Yes the standards were there but Michael had a few samples of some very special bottles also available for us to explore…. And wow! There definitely were a few we thoroughly enjoyed.

We had all the ‘usual suspects‘ which we’ve enjoyed before and the friendly Nirvana 40%.

Then we graduated to some special expressions…..

PX Cask Strength

  • Nose – Quite an intriguing aroma – subtle yet distinctive with cherries and berries – particularly lingonberry, a nice tartness too
  • Palate – Very smooth, follows through from the nose yet even sweeter
  • Finish – Clear PX stamp

Overall we found that every element is in harmony with this one.

Oloroso Cask Strength 

  • Nose – Initially vegetale, reminding us of the ground beneath foliage, shitake mushrooms, that umami element, then coming up from behind came aromas of plums, dates. After the 1st sip, the Oloroso sherry elements shone through more clearly – sweeter, plum pudding and vanilla icing
  • Palate – Started a bit bitter but quite interesting, oily, wood, dates, a kind of density and depth which was distinctive
  • Finish – Wow! Quite different from the palate, very long

With this one, we found it needed more time to open up. There was something almost ‘funky’ initially – like a hobbit whispering tall tales in your ear. However overall grew into a colourful character – a strong, bold, dynamic whisky.

XO Grape Brandy 48?%

  • Nose – Different from a traditional cognac… almost more like a spiced rum, lots going on, quite active, heady, apple cinnamon spice yet sophisticated
  • Palate – Intense
  • Water – Opens it up considerably, sweeter, fruitier and much smoother

Approx 9 years and expected to retail for approx. INR 12k. Great peacock packaging.

Mars Orbiter 57.8%

Like a mythical creature, this one came and went from global shelves in a blink of an eye! So too was our tasting, just a drop at the close of a remarkable Paul John session… we were left with the impressions of sweet aromas, a bright explosion on the palate, leaving tasty raisins and sweet spices in the finish.

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Whisky Ladies visit Paul John Distillery

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From our first Whisky Ladies Paul John evening, there was interest in making a trip to Goa to visit the distillery. Particularly after Paula’s visit and then mine, we knew it was only a matter of time.

After a few efforts to organize, we settled on August 2019. Flights were booked, an old Portuguese villa arranged for our stay… small group or large… we were determined to finally make it!

And it was COMPLETELY worth the trip. If you enjoy whisky and find yourself in Goa, DO NOT MISS!

Particularly as Paul John Distillery has a lovely visitor centre… That just invites you to  step up and explore…

Pankaj Poorvana greeted us with coffee and a quiz… Which is the world’s most popular whiskey by volume purchased? Apparently it comes from India and is a blend – Officer’s Choice!

With that, we were welcomed into a truly beautiful pavillion, with tiles and furniture lovingly restored.

It was like entering a whisky temple in the middle of a tropical paradise inspired by a Goan Portuguese villa…

Colourfully decorated with paintings by Bianca in the style of Mário João Carlos do Rosário de Brito Miranda, a popular Goan cartoonist and painter.Before the tour we were brought into a media room where we were shown a video about why Paul John felt ready to make single malt and more specifically in Goa, bringing the “soul of India” to world. The film shared how Paul John has won hundreds of awards with their core line of:

And then our tour began… stay tuned for details on our experience!

Paul John Visitor Centre, John Distilleries
Plot #M21A, Cuncolim Industrial Estate, Salcete, Goa – 403703. (Location available on Google Maps)

Days: Monday- Saturday (Sundays and Public Holidays closed)
Timings: 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Visitor Center Contact: +91-74477 88979
Website: https://pauljohnwhisky.com Email: visitorcentre@jdl.in

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Drammers Club is in Mumbai!!!

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Another malty memory from 2019 was my first Drammers Club tasting in April… which was a practical cornucopia of whiskies!

For those not familiar, the Drammers Club started in New York and has been opening chapters around the world. For Mumbai, co-president Charlie Prince teamed up with Rohan Mirchandani.

In the session I joined, Charlie shared the intent to anchor Mumbai sessions with an Indian whisky and American  plus other interesting bottles picked up around the world.

The focus for India was Paul John with Yash Bhamre, Brand Ambassador:

  • Brilliance & Edited– I’ll admit, seeing 10 odd whiskies, skipped this pair to focus on sampling those not yet tasted
  • Nirvana 40% – An opportunity to try even before its official launch! It was friendly, approachable, fruity, caramel, easy going
  • Select Cask Peated from Yash’s personal collection, while it didn’t have the pronounced ‘bacon‘ of some editions, it was still a great example of their cask strength peated avatar
  • SMWS 134.3 “Hello Flavour” 56.9% ex bourbon cask, 189 bottles, released 2017… had tropical fruits like mango, pineapple, intense flavours and a delightful finish

And for the American side of the equation?
  • Barterhouse 20 year 45.1% – Easy going creamy and one I’d love to try again in more optimal tasting circumstances
  • Old Commonwealth Postage Stamps of Ireland – A very unique dram that deserves specific attention. I hurriedly jotted down a few tasting notes – Tight black currents and dark berries, black vanilla pods, rich creamy caramel coffee on the nose… Smooth flavorful tea leaf on the palate, a bit queer with the finish initially but harkened back to the nose
  • Heaven Hill Marsala Hogshead Finish (2001/2017) Cask 17074, 46.5% Bottle 13 or 199 bottles – I wasn’t sure about this one, it started off as very musty, nail polish, definitely different funky. However it tasted much better – smooth and sweet, wet fall leaves, berries with spice, finishing with tannin merlot

To round things out, we also explored from Japan:

  • Ichiro’s Double Distillery 46% – Not bad with lots of cantaloupe, honey dew melon, musk melon
  • Ichiro’s Single Grain – I skipped this one – too much of a good thing is, well… too much!

Now I will admit both my pics and tasting notes are rubbish. A crowded noisy bar – no matter how fabulous it is for sociable occasions – just isn’t my way of savouring a single malt. So you will have to forgive my scant impressions. It also cemented my preference for humble low key tasting evenings with a small group of friends over a trio or at most quartet of whiskies not over 10!

Don’t get me wrong – I’m delighted Mumbai has a Drammers Club chapter and wish the team all the best. Charlie and the gang are definitely bringing greater variety of whiskies to a larger audience – and that surely is a good thing!

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Port Finish – Amrut Port Pipe Peated 48%

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India is making its mark with Amrut and Paul John single malts… so when we were planning an evening exploring different finishes and the Amrut Port Pipe Peated became available, well… we simply had to give it a whirl!

Amrut Port Pipe Peated 48%

  • Nose – Well hello peat, smoking pipe, sea salt, apricots, a richness, then as it opened up more, became spicier, smoked meats, some cognac and even sweet candies, apples, give it even more time and there was a whiff of mocha coffee chocolate
  • Palate – Spice and peat and sweet combine, heavy and creamy on the tongue, balanced
  • Finish – After the 1st sip, the finish was a bit bitter, then a few sips in, the finish was nice long, lazy peat, with sweetness and salt, just hanging around

We thought it a good ‘all rounder.’ Overall… there was something quite ‘desi‘ about this one. We even speculated about tasting besan – the chickpea flour used to make pakoras. Whereas another suggested kebabs picking up on the hint of smoked meats dimension. Yet another called it a solid 4 course meal. Hmm…. were we starting to get hungry?

It was apt though – this is a whisky of substance. What was curious was how the port element was subtle, whereas the peat was predominant.

Certainly this is a whisky you would be proud to call Indian.

Zoe and Amrut

And what do the combined Amrut and The Vault folks have to say?

This a single cask release made with a combination of 3 YO Virgin Oak & Ex-Bourbon matured malts that are further aged in the very rare 30 YO Port Pipe cask from Portugal, for another 2.5 years. Whisky aged for 5.5 years in tropical climate like Bangalore, which is 3000 ft. above sea level brings the flavour to its apex profile. The peated malt, imported from Scotland, uses Aberdeenshire peat that delivers well rounded peat notes with only a hint of iodine on the nose and palate.

  • Nose: First up is butterscotch wrapped in delicious gentle peat with growing sweetness of honey, and raisins. Thick oak tannins and hints of cinnamon flavoured dark chocolate.
  • Palate: The peat has come to life with all the creaminess from raisins and honey. Lots of citrus and tropical fruits. Cinnamon and chocolate in the background.
  • Finish: Ever so long and mouth coating. Peat, citrus and sweetness lingers on with massive salivation and little dryness.

You won’t find this whisky easily…. only 100 bottles were released for sale in Mumbai – launched as part of The Vault Biennale, held in Mumbai February 2019. And if you managed to snag one of those bottles? It would cost you Rs 7,000 / approx $100.

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