Amrut Peated Indian single malt whisky. From Amrut Distillery, Bangalore, India.

Amrut  India

Amrut Distillery is situated in Bangalore in the state of Karnataka on the Mysore Plateau in central, southern India where production of malt whisky commenced using four stills during the early 1980s. Unpeated malted barley is sourced from the Punjab and Rajasthan regions in northern India whilst peated malted barley is shipped in from Scotland. Amrut Indian single malt whisky is matured in oak casks in Bangalore at an altitude of over 900m above sea level where maturation is subject to a tropical climate with dry seasons and rainy seasons. Due to the high rate of evaporation of at least 12% per year it is difficult to store and age casks of Amrut malt whisky locally, therefore, in order to produce older whiskies some casks of Amrut whisky are also matured in Scotland. The Amrut Distillery produces a range of Indian malts whiskies including peated and unpeated, some matured in bourbon and sherry casks including Amrut Intermediate Sherry, and some containing malt whisky which has matured in two continents.

Nose: Unusually dry peat; not dissimilar to peat reek absorbed by an old leather armchair; a hint of citrus, too.

Taste: Despite the nose, the immediate sensation is one of being caressed by molassed sugar and then a ratching up of the peat notes. As they get more forceful, so the experience becomes that little bit drier and spicier, though not without the molasses refusing to give way.

Finish: You can tell the quality of the distillate and the barrels it has been matured in by the crystalline depth to the finish. Everything is clear on the palate and the butterscotch vanillas wrap the phenols for a comfortable and clean finale.