London Whisky Show – Colourful Watt Whiskies

Posted on November 13, 2022 by Carissa Hickling

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 s, 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%

Posted on October 5, 2022 by Carissa Hickling

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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Paul John Christmas Present

Posted on December 25, 2020 by Carissa Hickling

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

Posted on October 18, 2020 by Carissa Hickling

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 1^stsip, 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

Posted on December 29, 2019 by Carissa Hickling

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!!!

Posted on December 26, 2019 by Carissa Hickling

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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Whisky Ladies 4th Anniversary!

Posted on August 31, 2019 by Carissa Hickling

Wow! How time flies! From a “wouldn’t it be great if…” to four full and flourishing years of sharing, pairing, discussing, debating, friendship and tasting with the Whisky Ladies of Mumbai!

Originally scheduled for when I was out galavanting around the globe, mother nature had other plans and Mumbai was effectively shut down by rains and floods.

Lucky for me this meant it could be rescheduled to a weekend when I could very happily join!

We decided after our last anniversary that the way to go is have a fun, sociable gathering – where each lady can invite a guest, bring an open bottle, have a grand meal, celebrating together the wonderful world of whiskies with fabulous women! After all – sharing is caring!

The collection was impressive! Here is where we started before most even arrived…

Given some were not able to join our Goan Paul John Distillery tour, I decided to bring ALL of the nearly empty bottles with me – including some never tried by all Whisky Ladies. Here’s what we started with from left to right…

As the sun set and the evening progressed, more and more bottles made their way to our lips… To be perfectly honest, I didn’t even TRY to track the variety and quantity that made its appearance over the course of our gathering… Suffice it to say, it beautifully reflected the diversity of our palates, preferences and penchant to track down something interesting or to simply kick back, relax and sociably enjoy.

For my part, after traveling for weeks from Mumbai – Munich – Winnipeg – Munich & Nuremberg – Mumbai – Goa – Mumbai – Kalote straight from the rice paddy fields of our country home to Mumbai’s urban jungle for our Whisky Ladies celebration, I could not have had a better day or way to celebrate!

I’m so lucky to have been part of creating such a special whisky tasting group in India and am going to miss it terribly in the coming months and years.

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Paul John 7 year Oloroso (2009) 57.4%

Posted on December 5, 2018 by Carissa Hickling

I’ve been ever so patiently waiting to sample this whisky… wanting just the right opportunity to share it with one of my Mumbai based whisky tasting groups.

Finally… nearly 2 years after I acquired this lovely bottle, it graced an evening of Sherry explorations…

What did we find?

Paul John 7 year (2009) Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish 57.4%

Nose – Starts quite nutty – specifically walnut, some balsa wood, toast then starts to shift into sweet dry fruits and spices with an inviting warm cinnamon, mince pie, dates, fresh figs, orange citrus, a delicious drizzle of honey or perhaps maple syrup?
Palate – Full force and fabulous! There was a lovely spice, cherries, rich and full bodied while remaining nicely rounded. Some black pepper and cinnamon bark, complex and dry.
Finish – Long, strong, sweet and sumptuous, even a little hint of licorice at the tail
Water – Wow! Really opened it up… Much fruitier, dried apricot, still keeps the orange, rum raisins, even sweeter yet without losing the lovely “Ooomph!” and character…The nose then took on some vanilla, cream, think of a yummy egg nog with a generous dash of nutmeg

What a whisky! Even before the 1st sip, we already heard comments like “Beautiful!” and “Remarkable!”

No question this was cask strength. And equally no doubt this was one exceptional whisky. Full flavoured and quite fabulous, it really came into its optimal character with a splash of water.

To put it in desi terms – we were “maha” impressed! Even more so when the reveal was Indian, provoking much national pride. Bravo Paul John!

And what the folks at Paul John have to say?

A limited edition of the Indian single malt from the sunny Goan coasts, Oloroso presents an aromatic tapestry of complex yet gorgeously weighted fragrances, from toasted honeycomb to figs and a touch of dry raisin. Matured for 3 years in American bourbon barrels and finished in sherry casks for 4 years, its creamy flavours offer a delectable blend of barley with grape. The intense sherry richness towards the end, gives this rare whisky its name. The finish is long and luxuriously spiced, with a cocoa tinged vanilla. It is a wholesome Goan experience, packed into every sip.

Nose – Complex and gorgeously weighted, Toasted honeycomb, dry resin, dates, figs and apricot, its almost an aromatic tapestry.
Palate – Magnificent mix of barley and grape, sweet and creamy, intense richness of sherry in the end.
Finish – Long and luxurious, with pulsing vanilla-cocoa mix and a build-up of spices.
Colour – Dark Amber
Pairing – This extremely complex whisky needs food that can complement it well. Tender, juicy steaks and blue cheese can help you unravel every nuance of this magnificent malt from Goa.

Paul John Whiskies:

Here are the whiskies explored in our Sherry Unusual evening:

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Paul John’s Zodiac Series – Kanya 50%

Posted on February 7, 2018 by Carissa Hickling

When I was in Goa at the Paul John distillery early 2017, Michael shared he had plans for a Zodiac series… each whisky named after a sign of the Zodiac, all limited release, likely to be from older stock, each unique.

So when I wandered over to the Paul John booth at Whisky Live Singapore 2017 to say hello to the guys, the 1st Zodiac release – Kanya – was the whisky whipped out with pride… and who could resist an opportunity to try?

It was a sneak peak into a whisky that became officially available early 2018.

Paul John Kanya 7 year 50%

Nose – Soft tropical fruits, musty, luscious, fruit drops, citrus sweet and spice, caramel
Palate – A real bite, old wood, dry, such character
Finish – Long and strong

Overall it was chock full of personality. With a sense of being caught just a moment before being in the wood too long… Marvellous. One I would have loved to settle down with properly.