Indri single malt Indian whisky enters UK premium market with Harrods listing for Founder’s Reserve

India’s most-awarded single malt whisky has arrived at one of the world’s most prestigious retail addresses. Indri secured its first Harrods listing with the UK launch of Indri Founder’s Reserve 11 Year Old, a limited-edition expression which is said to be comparable to a 30 to 35-year-old Scotch thanks to its distinctive tropical maturation.

Limited to just 1,100 bottles globally and priced at £350, the expression sold out at the luxury Knightsbridge retailer within weeks of its debut. It is now available from selected specialist retailers including Moonshine and Fuggles and Whisky Brokers Associates.

Produced near the foothills of the Himalayas in Indri, Haryana, Founder’s Reserve is shaped by the distinctive terroir of northern India. The distillery’s extreme climate, where summers reach 50°C and winters drop to freezing, accelerates maturation at a rate that sets Indian single malt apart from any other whisky-making region in the world. Around 10-12% of the spirit laid down in cask evaporates each year compared with 2% annually in Scotland’s cooler and more temperate conditions. And what remains after 11 years is extraordinarily precious.

Expertly crafted by master blender Surrinder Kumar, regarded as the architect of India’s premium spirits revolution, Indri Founder’s Reserve is aged for 11 years in ex-Bordeaux red wine casks. The result is a cask strength single malt bottled at 58.5% ABV, deep amber in colour, with a character that reflects both Surrinder’s craft and the conditions of northern India.

Surrinder Kumar, Master Blender for Indri, said: “India’s terroir doesn’t lend itself to prolonged ageing, as around 10% of the spirit laid down in cask evaporates each year. Left for a decade or more, and the remaining whisky is extremely precious and complex. Indri’s tropical ageing means that spirit matured for a year in India is equivalent to three to four years of ageing in Scotland’s cool climate, placing our Founder’s Reserve 11 Year Old in the same category as a Scotch whisky between 30 and 35-years-old.”

On the nose, the expression opens with dark fruits and warm spices, giving way to cherries and red plums alongside vanilla, oak and subtle wood spice. The palate is full-bodied and predominantly fruity, with nutmeg, ginger, citrus and vanilla emerging alongside toffee and milk chocolate. The finish is long and indulgent, with stewed orange, jammy sweetness and a long dry close.

Madhu Kanna, Head – International Business for Indri, added: “Indri’s Founder’s Reserve 11 Year Old is a symbol of India’s ascension in the world of fine single malt whisky. Aged to perfection and crafted with care, this expression embodies Indri’s ethos of creating a world-class Indian single malt whisky with soul, structure and enduring quality.

“Indri Founder’s Reserve sits at the pinnacle of our portfolio and makes a clear statement about the Indian single malt category. With only 1,100 bottles available worldwide, this rare release is both a collector’s treasure and a whisky connoisseur’s delight.”

Indri Founder’s Reserve 11 Year Old scored 95.09 points at the 2024 International Whisky Competition, ranking 8th globally and securing a place among the Top 15 Whiskies of the Year. Building on this international recognition, it went on to earn a Gold Award at the 2025 World Whisky Awards and a Gold Medal at the New York World Wine & Spirits Competition.

The UK release is the latest chapter in Indri’s remarkable rise. Since launching in 2022, the brand has accumulated more than 100 international accolades and become the number one malt whisky in India by volume (IWSR 2024). One of the world’s fastest growing single malts, Indri is reshaping perceptions of Indian premium spirits on the global stage.

Indri Founder’s Reserve 11 Year Old is available now in selected specialist whisky retailers. For more information, visit https://www.indri.in/

Tasting Notes

Nose: Full-bodied, sweet and fruity with cherries and red plums, with a balance of vanilla, oak and wood spices, followed by subtle zesty hints accompanied leathery and earthy notes.

Palate: Predominantly fruity, with the right balance of oak, tannins and spice. Nutmeg, ginger, citrus and vanilla do not shy away. Milk chocolate and toffee exhibit at the hind side of the palate, lending a perfect texture to this full-bodied whisky.

Finish: Stewed orange, jammy sweetness with sober tannins offering slight dryness and a pleasing, long finish.

– About Indri

Indri single malt Indian whisky was launched in 2022 by Piccadily Agro Industries Limited (PAIL) aimed at catering to discerning consumers who appreciate quality and craftsmanship in spirits and became the ‘fastest growing single malt whisky brand’ in 2024.

PAIL is a publicly listed company operating primarily in two strategic business segments: Distillery and Sugar and has a manufacturing facility located in Indri, Haryana. PAIL has established itself as a key player in the alcoholic beverages industry, particularly renowned for its expertise in malt spirits.

The company boasts a robust portfolio that includes premium expressions of Indri single malt whisky, blended malt whisky brands and Camikara, premium sugarcane juice aged rum. www.indri.in / www.piccadily.com

15 years ago, a dream turned into reality. The process of building and preparing the distillery for producing spirit was a huge job.  On July 4th 2011 the first spirit was put into barrels to begin the aging process. Since then, award winning single malt whiskies have been produced and enjoyed the around the world. It’s been a wonderful journey, and one that is only just beginning. Judging by the quality of the whisky that is coming out of the warehouse there are exciting things to come.

If you are able to make it to the distillery we are having a little celebration, some live music and some cocktails & charcuterie and we’d love to see you here. We’ll also have a limited release of 30 bottles of the 15 Year Old Single Malt available.

Morrison Distillers

Old Perth Pedro Ximenez 2.0 Limited Edition

ABV: 54.3% 70 cL

Putachieside 21 Year Old, 50.8%

The Video

The lost history behind Putachieside. Before Union Street and New Market Street existed, there was a tiny Aberdeen neighbourhood called Putachieside, tucked away in what’s now known as Carnegie’s Brae. That’s where Wm Cadenhead Ltd set up shop in the early Victorian era. In 1904, Robert Duthie took over the company and created the Putachieside blend, naming it after that very street.

The label even features an etching of the old area, including the historic Wallace Tower. The area itself was cleared away in the 1840s to make room for the city’s new streets. But the name lived on in the whisky. J. & A. Mitchell Ltd (Campbeltown) bought the company in 1972 and kept producing Putachieside for a while, before it was eventually discontinued in the late 1990s. A blend named after a street that no longer exists https://whiskywednesdays.substack.com/

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HAPPY CANADA DAY, eh?

FROM NORFOLK TO WORLD’S BEST: THE ENGLISH DISTILLERY CLAIMS SECOND GLOBAL WHISKY TITLE AT WORLD WHISKIES AWARDS

Norfolk distillery celebrates second major global win in three years as its Gently Smoked Sherry Hogshead expression claims top honours on the world stage

The win sees The English Distillery outperform Scotland, Ireland, Japan and the United States for a second time in three years

The English Distillery has strengthened England’s position on the global whisky stage once again after being crowned World’s Best Single Malt (Small Batch) at the prestigious World Whiskies Awards 2026.

The Norfolk-based distillery’s latest victory – awarded for its outstanding English Gently Smoked Sherry Hogshead – marks its second major world title in just three years, further cementing its position as England’s leading whisky producer – and placing it firmly alongside the world’s most established whisky nations.

The win follows the distillery’s extraordinary 2024 success, when it was honoured for producing the World’s Best Single Malt, for its English Sherry Cask expression – a defining moment that announced English whisky’s arrival on the global stage, and which led to the winning whisky selling out globally within hours, with a similar surge in demand now expected in 2026. 

A GLOBAL STANDARD-BEARER FOR ENGLISH WHISKY

Competing against hundreds of entries from the world’s most renowned whisky-producing nations, including Scotland, Ireland, Japan, and the United States, The English Distillery is now a serious contender on the world stage, with the latest award-winning expression praised for its balance, character, and exceptional craftsmanship.

Founded in 2006 as England’s first registered whisky distillery in over 100 years, The English Distillery has helped spearhead the revival of English whisky by consistently pushing boundaries and remaining rooted in traditional whisky-making principles.

Every stage of production, from milling locally grown barley to distillation in its iconic copper stills, through to maturation in premium oak casks and hand bottling, takes place at its Breckland-based site in Norfolk.

And this hands-on, grain-to-glass approach continues to define the distillery’s world-class credentials.

THE WINNING WHISKY: GENTLY SMOKED SHERRY HOGSHEAD

The English Gently Smoked Sherry Hogshead represents a masterful evolution of the distillery’s sherry cask expertise, combining delicate peat influence with rich, sherry-driven depth.

Carefully matured in high-quality sherry hogshead casks, the whisky delivers a beautifully layered and complex profile.

On the nose, enticing aromas of burned sugar mix with rich toffee and sweet smoke, whilst the addition of a drop of water adds apples unlocks an added layer of discovery for whisky lovers looking to unlock an even greater sensation.

On the mouth, a rich palate featuring smooth, pronounced notes of smoke, smoked apple, cinnamon, vanilla, dried fruits and orange peel leads to a satisfyingly long, sweet and smokey finish.

Bottled at 46% ABV, non-chill filtered and natural in colour, the whisky exemplifies The English Distillery’s commitment to authenticity and quality without compromise.

STILL IN DISBELIEF: A FAMILY AT THE HEART OF SUCCESS

Led by husband and wife team Andrew Nelstrop, MD, and Marketing Director Katy Nelstrop, The English Distillery remains a family affair and is supported by some of the greatest talent in English and global whisky making.

Together, they continue the legacy of Andrew’s father, distillery founder James Nelstrop who, under the guidance of legendary Scotch whisky Master Distiller Ian Henderson, had an ambition to create world-class single malt whisky in England.

Andrew said: “We are genuinely still in disbelief. To win a World’s Best Whiskies title once was extraordinary. But to do it again, and in such a short space of time, is something neither we nor my father could have dared to dream of when he and Ian started this amazing journey 20 years ago. It’s an incredibly proud moment for our whole team and for English whisky as a whole.”

He added: “Winning World’s Best Single Malt in 2024 with our Sherry Cask was a milestone. To now follow that with World’s Best Single Malt (Small Batch) for our Gently Smoked Sherry Hogshead really shows that we are achieving the consistency and quality we strive for every single day.”

Fresh from celebrating the success with Andrew at the World Whiskies Awards at the Waldorf Hotel in London, Katy Nelstrop said: “It still hasn’t quite sunk in. The World Whiskies Awards represent the very pinnacle of global recognition, so to be honoured again is just incredible.”

She continued: “This whisky is such a special expression. It perfectly balances gentle smoke with the richness of sherry cask maturation. To see it recognised on the world stage is hugely rewarding for everyone involved.”

A CONTINUING LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE

The English Distillery’s dual World Whiskies Awards triumphs in just three years underline not only its own success, but also the rapid evolution of English whisky as a globally respected category.

From its pioneering beginnings in 2006 to becoming a multi-award-winning distillery competing with the very best in the world, The English Distillery has played a defining role in shaping the modern English whisky movement.

Andrew added: “We are honoured that The English Distillery stands as a beacon for quality, innovation, and tradition. We continue flying the flag for England on the international stage.”

AVAILABILITY

The award-winning English Gently Smoked Sherry Hogshead is available now via The English Distillery’s online shop, RRP: £75 (70cl)

However, with global demand expected to surge following this latest accolade, availability may be limited.

The English Distillery is England’s oldest registered whisky distillery. Founded by the Nelstrop family in Norfolk in 2006, the distillery is still independent and creates multi-award-winning whisky from local barley.

The distillery has a unique place in history. In 1901 the last recorded whisky distillery in England swapped from whisky to gin production before being destroyed by fire. This saw the end of whisky distilleries in England until The English Whisky Co. Ltd was granted a license to distil whisky by HMRC. In 2006 it opened the first registered, operational whisky distillery in England for over 100 years.

Our founder James Nelstrop was the younger son of a Lincolnshire farmer. James spent his formative years farming in Lincolnshire before emigrating to Australia, where farms were bigger and opportunities were plentiful. James returned to England in 1976 and went to work the land in Norfolk, Suffolk and Lincolnshire. He also set up farming charities in Russia to improve the agricultural industry as the country emerged from 30 years of communist control before returning to Norfolk.

As James neared retirement, a lifetime’s dream to make whisky became a possibility. The dream had grown from a throwaway comment made by James’ father, who said it was a “shame all this barley has to go to Scotland to be turned into whisky.”

The decision to build the distillery in Norfolk was quick and with only one caveat: The distillery would produce only the very finest single malt whiskies, regardless of the time it took to get there. This mantra has become the foundation of everything that we do at The English Distillery.

The distillery is now led by James’ son Andrew, who continues to follow in his father’s footsteps.

A CELEBRATION OF THE MACALLAN 1926

THE MACALLAN ROMANTICA COLLECTION

Introducing The Macallan Romantica Collection, a 1986 vintage whisky, unveiled in 2026 to mark the 100th anniversary of The Macallan 1926. In 1986, The Macallan 1926 reached the apogee of maturity with a complex and alluring character. It would become the world’s most valuable wine or spirit sold at auction.*

As maturation of The Macallan 1926 came to an end in 1986, another journey was just beginning. A single sherry seasoned oak cask, cask no. 9925, was filled and laid down to mature in a cool, secluded corner of The Macallan Estate.

A trinity of globally acclaimed artists, Sir Peter Blake, Valerio Adami and Michael Dillon created label art for The Macallan 1926. They have reunited with The Macallan to pay homage to its legacy.

As a highly exclusive release, The Macallan Romantica Collection will consist of only 86 bottles of each artist’s edition.

DISCOVER THE COLLECTION

Matured in a single sherry seasoned European oak cask from Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, The Macallan Romantica Collection exemplifies mastery of wood and spirit, bringing together generations of whisky mastery, creativity and craftsmanship for which The Macallan is globally renowned.

“From the moment this cask was laid down in 1986, it became part of a legacy – a story that began with The Macallan 1926 and continues today. Over forty years of slumber, the whisky has evolved with extraordinary grace, developing a luminous character of fruits, spice and rich oak.”

KIRSTEEN CAMPBELL
Master Whisky Maker

THE ARTISTS

Sir Peter Blake, Valerio Adami and Michael Dillon each contemplated the journey of The Macallan during cask no. 9925’s years of slumber, from 1986 to 2026, and interpreted this in their own unique style, connecting 1986 to 2026 and each artist to The Macallan.

The Harris Journal – Discover our Drams

Since the launch of The Hearach, each bottle has carried its own unique batch number on the stopper seal, marking a moment in the story of our whisky.

In the near future, we will reach our nineteenth batch release with the strip code HE0001924. It will be the final numbered batch of The Hearach Single Malt, bringing this chapter of our whisky’s journey to a close.

The whisky itself remains unchanged. We will continue to craft, mature and marry The Hearach in carefully composed batches, just as we always have. The difference is simply that the batch numbers will no longer appear on the seal, while the design and tasting notes will become consistent.

Removing the numbers will simplify things for customers while allowing avid fans to complete the collection that began with our very first release. For those who have followed every batch, HE0001924 offers a fitting conclusion.

When batches 17, 18 and 19 become available online next week, the numbered series will be complete. It marks the end of one chapter in the story of The Hearach, but it is far from the end of the story.

DISCOVER OUR DRAMS

Batch 40: Fruit bomb is a small batch blended malt whisky best described as an opulent and generous fruit basket. That description makes sense when you consider the fact that the whiskies in this recipe come from distilleries producing highly fruity whiskies that deliver fruity, exotic and orchard-inspired flavours.

You’ll find flavours of peaches, red apples, pineapple cubes, peach yogurt, ripe banana porridge and dried apricots on the menu.  On the spicy cask side of things expect vanilla, coconut, coriander seeds and white pepper.

Though we have reduced the strength to 50% abv, don’t feel you need to be shy with water, as this dram takes it really well. So try it neat, dilute it, make a highball with it and toast the summer ahead.

READ ABOUT BATCH 40

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ

Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information

This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 607: Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old 2013 Staoisha Liquid Art

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries a young Bunna. Recently, Liquid Art launched a young Staoisha, the peated version of Bunnahabhain on Islay. The bottle is adorned with a label featuring a beautiful photo… which was not taken on Islay, but in Norway. During a trip near Rotsund, the photographer pointed his camera east towards the Lyngen Alps. In the photo, we see a striking rock formation with four smaller peaks in the centre. Legend has it that these are four petrified trolls. When they climbed over the mountains, they were so awestruck by the beauty that they were turned to stone forever. Kudos to the photographer, by the way, as the photo was absolutely not edited. A fine piece of craftsmanship. And that can more than likely be said of the malt as well. Time to taste!

https://youtu.be/yCd8BE_msYo