I’m not very familiar with Indian whisky. Other than a Christmas edition of Paul John, which I haven’t even reviewed here, I’ve actually never looked further. I like to try different and new things, but with so much whisky around it’s impossible to keep up with everything. But today I finally have my first review of an Indian whisky, the Amrut Triparva, which was recommended to me by a friend.
Founded in 1948, The Amrut Distilleries company goes a long way back. The company then produced all kinds of other spirits, such as rum and brandy, and only started producing whisky in 1982. However, the reputation of Indian whisky was just not good at the time. Most whisky was made from molasses and turned into cheap blends. And while the company had the idea of launching a premium whisky made from local barley in addition to the molasses, this too wasn’t bottled as single malt. In fact, the whisky was blended with alcohol produced from sugar cane.
It was only when the demand for single malts started to increase that the distillery started to focus on single malts. And so it happened that at the beginning of the 2000s the first Amrut single malt was finally released. Also the first Indian single malt ever. A milestone for the distillery, and with quite some struggle, the first single malt for the European market was finally released in 2004. However, the real breakthrough in Europe was still a long time coming. It was only when the Amrut Fusion was released in 2010 that the distillery finally got the praise they had been looking for all along.
Since then, things have gone fast for the distillery and nowadays they have a lot of releases to their name, such as a whole series of standard bottlings and single cask releases. That also brings us to this Amrut Triparva (Hindi for ‘in three parts’) which is India’s first triple-distilled single malt, another milestone for the distillery. (Bottled at a strength of 50% ABV).
Amrut Triparva tasting notes:
Nose: a hint of coconut. Orange peels. Followed by tropical fruit, like banana, peaches and mango. Pineapples too. And melons even. Vanilla. But there’s also a spicy note: turmeric and grounded coriander.
Taste: peaches, passion fruit and mandarins. Quickly followed by bananas and melons. A little bit of honey and vanilla. Roasted coffee beans in the background. Then some spices. A pinch of black pepper, cumin and turmeric again.
Finish: mid-long with spices, a hint of tropical fruit, a light oak note and grounded coriander.
My first Amrut here at Whiskylifestyle and that is not disappointing at all. In fact, I think it is a very pleasant single malt with a distinct taste, but in a good way. Nice balance between the tropical fruit and the spices. And a nice fresh touch from the coriander.
