I have decided to start a new series on my blog called Spirited Sundays. I’ll be writing about spirits of course. The first installment is about whisky from India from a company called Amrut Distilleries. I just learned about it today and am really intrigued to taste it. I read tasting notes about the wine and the descriptions are that it is smoky with vanilla notes and some fruit tones.

Although I had never heard of it, the Amrut distillery products are apparently quite famous. They have a big following in the whisky world and have won many awards. It was founded in the 1940s under another name by Shri J N Radhakrishna, the founder. The company apparently made products for the Indian army. They began making malt whisky in the 1980s but it was a blend of malt and molasses as was allowed by Indian law. To sell the products in Europe, they had to make some charges. Some of the barley used in the whisky was from India and some of it is from Scotland originally. The website shows a wheel with the history of the company. It seems that their first single malt was launched in 2004. It also noted that the whisky is crafted in Bengaluru. Bengaluru is another name for Bangalore and is capital of the state of Karnataka. The city is considered the Silicon Valley of India. With a population of over ten million, it is India’s third largest metropolis. Bangalore sits at 3000 feet above sea level.

Now the barley used for the whisky comes from the foot of the Himalayas. It is mashed and distilled and then matured in oak barrels in a hot, tropical climate but at elevation.
The company actually makes a number of whisky brands and rum. I found a great article about the company that made me want to try it even more. Luckily I also found out where to buy it on wine-searcher with an average price of around $65.