Amrut Whisky
Amrut came from nowhere — an Indian distillery no Scotch expert had heard of, until Jim Murray named it the world's third-best whisky. Bangalore's tropical climate matures the whisky so quickly that six years in a cask equals far more time in cool Scotland. |
About Amrut Whisky
Amrut Distilleries was founded in 1948 in Bangalore and began experimenting with single malt whisky in the 1980s by sourcing barley separately from farmers in Punjab and Rajasthan, apart from the molasses most Indian "whiskies" otherwise use. The first single malt was released in 2004 after 20 years of experimentation, and Amrut Fusion, blending Indian and Scottish barley, was later named the world's third-best whisky in Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2010. Collectors are drawn especially to the early releases and to the extreme evaporation in India's hot climate, which makes older Amrut bottles rare, while newcomers meet an intense, fast-matured style unlike anything else.
History & Background
Amrut started as an ordinary producer of cheap alcoholic drinks for the Indian market until director Neelakanta Rao R Jagdale decided in the 1980s to attempt a genuine single malt, a radical idea in a country whose whiskies were at the time notorious for being molasses-based blends. After twenty years of experimentation and collaboration with Scottish consultancy Tatlock and Thomson, Amrut Single Malt debuted at The Pot Still bar in Glasgow, where the Scotch whisky world encountered an Indian whisky for the first time. Recognition from Jim Murray in 2010 became the turning point that opened both the European and American markets and made Amrut the pioneer of the entire Indian single malt category.
History & Background
Amrut Distilleries was founded in 1948, but it was not until 2004 that the company launched its first single malt whisky, making Amrut one of the pioneers of Indian single malt. The distillery is still family-run.
Production & Style
Bangalore's tropical climate with high temperatures significantly accelerates the whisky's maturation compared to Scotland, meaning a relatively young Amrut can display a maturity normally requiring many more years of ageing in colder climates.
Signature Style
Full-Bodied, Spiced, Intense
The flavour offers a concentrated, spiced character with notes of tropical fruit, shaped by the rapid tropical maturation.
Facts
| Distillery | Amrut Distilleries |
| Founded | 1948 (single malt: 2004) |
| Pronounced | AM-rut |
| Region | Bangalore |
| Country | India |
| Owner | Independent/family-owned (the Jagdale family) |
| Official website | amrutdistilleries.com |
Did You Know?
In 2010, Amrut Fusion rocked the whisky world when it was named the world's third best whisky by acclaimed critic Jim Murray.