Category Archives: India

Friendly February Dram Exchange

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It was a surprisingly warm and sunny weekend for February. It was also a perfect opportunity for a few friends to get together and exchange a few drams. Some were already open. Others had been waiting for just this kind of evening.

We had 13 whiskies on offer and the hardest decision was where to start and where to stop? What did we have displayed to explore?

We chose to begin with the youngest and most recently opened distillery from the Hebridean Island distillery Raasay… Their aim is to produce a lightly peated whisky with rich flavourts. This was my first sample of the “real” Raasay as my earlier brush was a “pre” offering in their intended style “While we wait.”

We thought this would be a light dram to whet our appetite for more… what we discovered was a bit different!

Raasay Single Malt 46.4%

  • Nose – Fresh, young and vibrant, malty and maritime, slight smoke, more herbal than floral or fruity, after time a whiff of smoked meats
  • Palate – Surprisingly peaty – much more pronounced than anticipated, and yet not a “heavy” peat, the herbal quality follows through, with some bitter tannins, nuts, and quite autumnal
  • Finish – Cinnamon fading into a faintly bitter finish
  • Water – Initially didn’t think would be needed, but worth trying. For me, it became sweeter with a mineral or granite element
  • Revisit – Much later, I revisited the empty glass, the aromas were ashy, a bit like the remaining long-forgotten antique kitchen fireplace, from generations before

The thing about whiskies, slowing down to discern different aromas are the memories a smell triggers. For me, the hint of smoked meats took me back to Montreal. The palate overall was smooth and pleasant.

What more do we know? Their aim?

Our flagship Isle of Raasay Single Malt Whisky, 46.4% ABV, natural colour, non-chill filtered.

Lightly peated with rich dark fruit flavours.

We set out to emulate some older styles of Hebridean single malt whiskies, with subtle, fragrant smokiness balanced with dark fruit flavours.

It was matured in six different casks – this is what they have to say:

Two Isle of Raasay spirits – peated and unpeated – are matured separately in first fill Rye whiskey, fresh Chinkapin oak and first fill Bordeaux red wine casks. These six recipe casks marry together to create the perfect dram with real elegance, complexity and depth of character.

With this knowledge, we could see where the tannins came from, however elegant? Complex? And dark fruits? Not in what we found, however, it was an interesting start!

Next up? A revisit of a former friend – Aureum – which is unfortunately no more. What did we think?

Ziegler’s Aureum 7-year Single Malt (2008 – 2015) Chateau Lafite Rothschild 47%

  • Colour – Gold
  • Nose – Welcome! These are the kinds of aromas that explain why we were so captivated by Aureum. Sweet chestnuts, green and fresh, fruity… then deepens into chocolate, sweet vanilla custard then green apple, then a dessert feast of apple pie with vanilla ice cream!
  • Palate – First sip was a bit odd, then once calibrated to the unique style of Aureum with its use of chestnut wood, we found it to be smooth, sweet… getting sweeter with each sip!
  • Finish – Lingers with more sweet wood

Overall it was a clear reminder that this was once a distinctive distillery producing unique drams – aiming for craft and quality. I can only repeat that it is such a pity that Ziegler abandoned their decade-long foray into such single malts to go down the Freud route.

We then moved on to Ireland, to discover Ireland’s West Cork was nothing like the sociable dram we anticipated….

West Cork Calvados Cask Finish 43%

  • Colour – Light straw
  • Nose – No mistaking there is Calvados involved here! It reminded me of the kind of juice we used to make from our garden apples – pulp and seeds and all would go in. Then it shifted to something that could best be described as fresh-pressed coffee
  • Palate – We found it a bit “pushy” at first. Young, a bit brash, and curiously unfinished, dry and bitter with a hint of nuts of some kind
  • Finish – Limited, what there was we found bitter, like chewing an espresso bean
  • Water – We hoped it might bring out some other element – instead just kicked up the spice

Overall this didn’t attract new fans. Now I’ve had a few mighty fine whiskies with Calvados finish. Mackmyra Äppelblom 46.1% and Rampur’s Jugalbandi come to mind…  The folks over at West Cork don’t try to over-sell this as a complex dram, instead, point imbibers in the direction of cocktails – a ginger mule to be more precise.

I then steered us towards a pair of Chorlton‘s – a contrast and comparison of two Glentauchers. Both sherry casks, both lovely just in different ways – both deserving their own posts – just check out Glentauchers 8 year and Glentauchers 14 year! We then cracked open some exceptional chocolates – what a fabulous pairing!

That is where our journeys diverged. For me, I thought to continue the chocolate pairing and thought to revisit the Super Sonic Sherry Blend and the Amrut Port Pipe Peated. Whereas others explored the Amrut, Indri, Kamet, and Staoisha. Overall it was simply a lovely evening and a nice way to keep at bay the dull dreary February blues!

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Paul John’s Christmas treat (2021 edition)

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I last tried Paul John’s Christmas editions at their distillery in Goa! It was August 2019 and a few Whisky Ladies of Mumbai got together to spend a special weekend together – with our primary mission to spend time at Paul John! We were impressed with the 2018 and 2019 editions. Originally these special seasonal celebration expressions could only be purchased in Goa, however, now living in Europe I’ve seen a couple pop up here and there!

This particular 2021 edition is one I managed to acquire in India, then brought it to Germany to share in a special Diwali celebration. I have a been a bit slow preparing tasting notes, however found myself on Christmas eve, back home in Mumbai, listening to the birds, looking out at the palm trees, contemplating the mix of Indian and western traditions that are part of any Anglo-Indian home. It seemed fitting to brush off my notes and share them today.

Paul John Christmas Edition 2021 46%

  • Nose – What a nose! Port, sour cherry, juicy berries, pepper, koffee candy
  • Palate – Silky smooth and full of flavours, dried fruits, some ginger, caramel, the coffee shifts into mocha, a sweet peat smoke, it is robust and rewarding
  • Finish – Lingers

Overall this whisky was pronounced as “really very good!” You could really tell the influence of all three casks – ex-bourbon, Port wine and Madeira barrels. Particularly on the nose the Port and Madeira shone through, yet there is something about the palate that brings all three dimensions together.

There is nothing shy about it – it is bursting with aromas and flavours, and generous in its approach. I found less of the tropical fruits I tend to associate with Paul John however the longer the whisky lingered in the glass, the more elements emerged. This is not a lightweight whisky and it deserves time to open up. Thankfully it remains at home, so I will have plenty of opportunities to come back and explore further.

One evening later that wintery month, I had a sudden hankering for egg nog. Not the store-bought variant but a rich, indulgent homemade egg nog, one that would be generously laced with whisky rather than rum. I just so happened to have all the ingredients except vanilla extract… so set about making a mini-batch – just enough for one person. As I considered which whisky to use, my thoughts were drawn back to the rich full flavours of this Paul John. I pulled out the bottle, splashed a few drops in a glass neat and knew this was EXACTLY what I wanted to pull off a truly exceptional egg nog.

What do the folks at Paul John have to say?

With tawny tints and aromas of malt-tinged caramel, a rare dash of coconut, and sweet berries balanced against dry raisins, Paul John Christmas Edition 2021 is crafted from malts finished in Ex-Bourbon and a melange of Port and Madeira casks. Entice the palate with creamy flavours of delicate spice and butterscotch riding on a light smoked-laced barley that lead to a long finish of alluring spices, light peat and a flavourful cocoa.

The 4th release of the limited Christmas Edition series from the award-winning Paul John Indian Single Malt, this expression bespeaks the joys of Christmas.

  • Colours: Tawny.
  • Nose: Caramel, orange marmalade, berries, malty, coconut and dry raisins.
  • Taste: Creamy, spicy, light smoke, butterscotch and barley.
  • Finish: Rather long and warming notes with Cocoa, light peat and spices.
  • Balances: An exotic and multi-faceted peated malt with deep, creamy flavours and a rich finish.

I bought this via The Drammers Mumbai group for INR 5,500 in December 2021. It later made its way to Europe to be tasted during a special Diwali evening in Nurnberg with our International Whisky Tasting group where we also sampled:

And now? Time to get into the seasonal spirit! Paul John Christmas Edition 2021

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Whisky Show 2023 – Indri’s Diwali Special Edition

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What is truly fabulous about London’s Whisky Show 2023 is the sheer range of whisky exhibitors. And this year, there was not one but three stands from India with Amrut, Rampur, and Indri.

For those not familiar, Surrinder Kumar was previously the genius behind much of Amrut’s success and now is bringing his keen nose and ideas to Picaddily as an advisor Master Blender and Distiller for their Indri whisky brand.

As much of the stock at Picadilly Distillers was laid well in advance of Surrinder’s involvement, the art here is picking just the right casks and combinations to bottle now or see the potential to move in a different direction by re-casking in a different barrel. 

Whilst we were late into our tasting day and very nearly “done”, Surrinder shared that the Indri Diwali Collector’s Edition 2023 is really very special and not to be missed! I’m very glad he insisted as it was indeed worth sampling and in some ways, I was reminded a bit of the remarkable Amrut Port Pipe Peated special release for The Vault Biennale in 2019. 

Indri Peated PX Diwali Collector’s Edition 2023 60.5%

Whilst I didn’t take detailed notes, I captured the following: Full, robust with peat and sweet on the nose and a lovely juicy palate. Delicious!

Surrinder also shared how it brought together casks from the US (ex-bourbon), UK (ex-peated), and India.

Here is what they have to say:

Indri Diwali Collector’s Edition 2023 is a peated Indian single malt made with six-row barley, distilled in traditional copper pot stills crafted in India. Carefully matured in PX Sherry Casks for a significantly long time amidst the sub-tropical climate of North India, this unique expression entices you with a whiff of smoke and awakens your senses to a myriad of flavours such as candied dried fruits, toasted nuts, subtle spices, oak, bittersweet chocolate and more.

It was worth stopping, visiting and sipping at London’s Whisky Show 2023.

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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.

And with that, we finished an interesting introduction to Rampur whiskies from India!

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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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