by Chris from WhiskyWall

We traditionally think whisky (or whiskey) comes from Scotland, Ireland or the United States.  OK, maybe from our neighbors to the north too – Canada.  However, June saw another entry into the single malt whisky world from of all places…India.  Yes, that is right India.  Amrut distillery based in Bangalore India released 5 new expressions here in the United States.  The whisky nerds here in the U.S. were clamoring for it prior to the release date, including me.  I ended up preordering a bottle just in case.

Amrut distillery has actually been in existence for some time.  According to its website the distillery was founded in 1948.  Amrut is the golden pot that contained the Elixer of Life according to Indian mythology.  This distillery is unique as it utilizes barley grown at the base of the Himalayas as well as the water from there to make its whisky.  These ingredients along with aging in the ndian climate make for a very unique flavor profile.

The expressions released this month were: Amrut Single Malt, Amrut Single Malt Peated, Amrut Fusion, Amrut Single Malt Cask Strength and Amrut Single Malt Peated Cask Strength.  I was particularly interested in the Amrut Fusion as it received high praise from the whisky community, including Jim Murray who releases the “Whisky Bible”.  In fact, he scored it the third highest whisky in the world by rating it a 97/100.  Fusion utilizes a mix of barley grown in India as well as barley imported from Scotland, thus the name Fusion.

The day finally came when my bottle of Amrut Fusion arrived and I popped it open to give it a try.  It is complex and interesting with different flavors than scotch whisky.  You can taste the oak, sweetness, malt, unique spices and hints of smoke.  Definitely a solid and great tasting whisky – but third best in the world?  In my humble opinion I really don’t think it lives up to that moniker.

Amrut, however, is not the first “exotic” whisky to enter the market.  Japan’s Suntory Yamazaki line has quietly been building up a following here in the United States as well as in Europe.  Suntory’s Yamazaki distillery, like Amrut, has a long history.  The Yamazaki distillery was founded in 1923 by Shinjiro Torii with the help of Masataka Taketsuru who later went on to establish another Japanese whisky powerhouse Nikka Whisky.  Suntory has collected many prestigious awards for its whisky and is now appreciated by many whisky “concessioners” as a true contender with traditional scotch whisky.  Currently, in the United States market Yamazaki 12, Yamazaki 18 and Hibiki 12 are available.  All three expressions are very good, with flavor profiles that are unique to Japanese whisky.  The Yamazaki 18 in particular has very deep and rich flavors of caramel, dark fruits, sherry and oak.  Definitely one to try if you haven’t had the opportunity.

So next time you are at a whisky bar or retail shop keep an open mind.  There are more whiskies out there than you might normally think of and a pleasant surprise might be waiting for you.  For more information and tasting notes on Amrut you can visitwww.amrutdistilleries.com. For more information on Suntory Yamazaki you can visit www.suntory.com/yamazaki