Amrut distillery

Region: India

Location: Bangalore

Status: Operational (owned by Amrut Distilleries Ltd)

General whisky characteristics: Rich, herbal, aniseed

Amrut, 46% ABV

Typical cost of this bottle; €€€€€

Nose: Aniseed, coriander and a bouquet of other herbs.

Palate: Aniseed and hints of citrus. Also smooth and pleasant. The initial flavour is short, but it quickly returns with lots of aniseed and citrus.

With 3 drops of water: Much more spicy and aggressive.

Overall Impression: A good whisky and when I used this in an international tasting, it won the accolade of 'Best Whisky' from a majority of participants.

Amrut, Double Cask, Casks filled 25.7.2002 & 27.2.2003, bottled 27.2.2010, Casks 2874 & 2273, 46% ABV

Sent to me as a sample to try blind

Typical cost of this bottle; €€€€€

Glass: Spiegelau

Colour: 18 carat gold

Nose: Initially earthy, but not quite farmyard. Slightly aromatic straw, bordering on aromatically bitter, although the background comprises something almost sweet.

Palate: Smooth and warming, more sweet than the nose with a little hint of coconut.

With 3 drops of water: Slightly more farmyard on both nose and palate

Finish: Medium

Overall Impression: This is only my second Amrut and I found it totally unlike my first one (above).

Amrut Herald, Cask 2868, 62.4% ABV

Matured intially in India, then transferred to Helgoland (Germany) for further maturation

Typical cost of this bottle; €€€€€

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Dark oak, light amber

Nose: Oooooh, this is BIG! Lots of nuts, figs, prunes, aged wood, then a freshness reminiscent of aniseed, but not quite. Maybe pineapple and a little mint in there too?

Palate: Quite spirity with hints of fruit schnaps or grappa, but with the addition of lots of wood and dark fruits.

With 4 drops of water: The nose is even richer with cloves and nutmeg alongside rich and spicy wood.

With 4 more drops of water: Even more spiciness on the nose. The palate is smoother and deeper with some caramelised banana joining those delicious spices.

With 5 more drops of water: The spices on the nose are now reduced and quite subdued whilst the wood is increased and becomes most prominent, although a delightfulyl smoky ham also develops. The various spices of the palate are also reduced which enables more fruit to come through as I find raspberry, apple and blackcurrant in abundance.

Finish: Long and spicy, but with more fruit when water is added.

Overall Impression: I like this. I like this even more with water, plenty of it too.

Amrut Portonova, 62.1% ABV

Matured in New US bourbon casks, then finished in Port Pipes

Typical cost of this bottle; €€€€€ (just! €75)

Reviewed as part of MMA 2011

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Glowing dark oak - rich amber

Nose: Rich toasted walnuts and almonds, traditional wax furniture polish and then aged oak with slight wood smoke, or is it just lightly scorched wood?

Palate: Very floral aged oak, in fact I'm reminded of a springtime Alpine meadow in full bloom behind rich oak, dark fruits and liquid marzipan.

Finish: Long rich and repeating

Overall Impression: Wow, amazing and quite excellent.

Blackadder, Amrut, bottled Oct. 2010, 62.7% ABV

Cask No.BA12/2010, matured for 6 months in Scotland, bottle 164 of 195

Typical cost of this bottle; €€€€€ to €€€€€

Reviewed as part of MMA 2011

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Rich and bright (21ct) gold

Nose: Initially aromatically leafy but this develops further into a light rubberiness with a smoky fruitiness. This is what I call a true outdoors or countryside whisky with lost of ruggedness that reminds me of a walk along the Cornish coastal cliffs. Even the delicate flora of such a walk develops on the nose of this Amrut after further time in the glass.

Palate: Very creamy mouth-feel with an immediate explosion of apricot and peach which then fades slowly to be replaced by redcurrants. There's lots of fruity wood too.

Finish: Very long with a fruity tingle right on the front of the palate.

Overall Impression: What an excellent whisky.