Amrut Distillery
Distillery scores top marks with Amrut 100
The innovative Indian malt whisky distiller Amrut has come up with another unique offering. Not only is the latest malt matured in unusually small handmade 100 litre casks, but it is bottled at 100 British proof and presented in 100cl bottles. In addition there will only be 100 individually-numbered bottles in each of five countries.
Unsurprisingly Amrut Distilleries Ltd has named this peated single malt whisky Amrut 100.
“We deliberately wanted to produce another expression within the peated single malt category,” explained Ashok Chokalingam of Amrut Distilleries, which has had great success with its Amrut Peated Single Malt Whisky which was first bottled in 2008.
“After the Amrut Peated Single Malt Whisky had been matured in ex-bourbon casks, the whisky was emptied into brand new 100 litre handmade virgin casks,” said Ashok.
The whisky was matured for a further year in the tropical climate of Bangalore. “As the new casks were almost half the size of a bourbon barrel, the extraction process is even faster and the aromas are concentrated in the form of heady vanilla and mocha chocolate integrated with subtle and enjoyable smoke.
“We tried the whisky at different strengths and found that at 100 British proof (57.1%), the balance was awesome. When we looked at the whole process, then the idea of Amrut 100 born. This whisky is bottled at the unusual size of 100cl. As the quantity is limited, we have just an individually-numbered country-specific bottling of 100 bottles per country.”
As the reviews have started to come in, Ashok is pretty sure this latest Amrut single malt will be another perfect collectors’ item.
Jim Murray in his new Whisky Bible 2011 has given 92 points to Amrut 100. He said: “Ironically, though one of the older whiskies to come from this distillery, the nose shows a little bit of youth. A quite different style from Amrut’s other peated offerings and it was obviously intended. Further proof that this distillery has grown not only in stature but confidence.”
Whisky writer, Dominic Roskrow, enjoys Amrut 100’s finish: “The fruit fights back but it’s a savoury whisky, with a spicy chilli conclusion, and utterly unforgettable and irresistible.”
Benny Ingman, President of Carlstad Whisky Connoisseurs, was also impressed by “a very good whisky and the best Amrut ever”. As was Gordon Homer, the creator of the Spirit of Islay website, who said: “This is possibly my favourite Amrut expression… so far… it hits the mark in all the right ways.”
Notes
Further information: Amrut 100
¨ Finished in 100 litre handmade virgin casks.
¨ Bottled at 100 British Proof (57.1%)
¨ Bottled in 100cl bottle
¨ Only 100 bottles per country (UK, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium and the Netherlands).
Further information: Amrut Distilleries
Amrut Single Malt Whisky from India was launched officially in Glasgow in 2004. Since then its reputation has grown, with its range of innovative whiskies using Indian barley from the Punjab distilled in the tropical garden city of Bangalore at 3000ft.
The distillery is forging a reputation for creating innovative whiskies. In the recently published The Whisky Bible 2011, leading whisky expert, Jim Murray described Amrut Intermediate Sherry Matured as another “truly outstanding and world class whisky”. Awarding it 96.5 points, he added: “The Intermediate is a whisky of sheer joy, I particularly loved the juxtaposition between the abundant spice and sherry character, another masterful example of distilling, maturation and blending at its very best.”
In The Whisky Bible 2010, Murray awarded Amrut Fusion Single Malt Whisky the title of World’s Third Best Whisky with 97 points. Fusion – which brings together two barleys: Indian and Scottish, with the latter being peated – was also named the Best Natural Cask Whisky in the Daily Drams Category at the Malt Maniacs Awards 2009. It picked up the award for the best whisky matured exclusively in “untreated”, regular cask(s) in the category for whiskies with an average street price of up to 50 euros. It was also awarded a silver medal.
This year Amrut has also released Kadhambam. This mixture of Amrut Single Malt Whisky and a small portion of Amrut Peated Single Malt Whisky was matured in a variety of casks (ex-Oloroso sherry butts, then ex-Bangalore Blue Brandy casks and finally ex-rum casks). Named after the Tamil word for “mixture”, Kadhambam’s maturation in each case was also a different length of time. The resulting whisky has been described as having “enormous complexity” and “the most adventurous single malt I have ever tasted”.
Amrut whiskies are now sold widely in Europe (UK, Netherlands, France, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Spain), Canada, South Africa, Australia and the United States.
Tasting notes
Gordon Homer
Like the finest orange marmalade in colour, the peat immediately hits you on the nose, very peaty! There’s quite a smokiness to it as well, spices, chocolate, malt and liquorice. There’s also a nice oakiness to it as well. On the palate the peat strikes first, then chocolate, and liquorice, a very nice spiciness to it as well. Very good balance across the palate. A Long and peaty finish, a touch of medicinalness in the peat, Mint humbugs and Fishermans Friends. Really chewy, boy does this finish go on and on and on… Wow! A fantastic Amrut. A peat head’s delight but with the distillery’s traits, I think this is the peatiest Amrut so far.
The 100 is certainly the peatiest Amrut I’ve tasted, the 100 litre virgin casks has added quite a bit of spiciness to the finished malt, very like the Ardbeg Toasted Oak releases. Amrut certainly aren’t sitting on their laurels, coming up with very interesting and very tasty new expressions! This is possibly my favourite Amrut expression… so far… it hits the mark in all the right ways!
Serge Valetin
Colour: amber. Nose: typical young peat from very active oak. Powerful but balanced, fresh, very ‘precise’. Damp ashes and sand, garden bonfire, cut grass, then more marzipan and roasted nuts as well as a little fudge. Quite some mint and a little eucalyptus in the background. Rather more aromatic than, say some peaty Islayers. With water: sweet peat and a lot of nutmeg. A little medicinal. Mouth (neat): very powerful but beautifully fruity and resinous beyond the peat, the pepper and the ginger. Also a little leather but just like the two previous ones, it’s very clean spirit. Gets finally a little more almondy and gingery. With water: perfect peat with a little fudge and always these gingery spices. Finish: long, clean, compact! Peat and sweet spices again. Comments: another perfect example of careful wood monitoring. Modern style but perfect. I mean ‘and’ perfect. SGP:457 – 88 points.
Bert Bruyneel
Nose: very phenolic and loads of medicine, orange, unlike any other peated Amrut I tasted before, could well be an Islay.
Palate: explosive and rather dry again, remains VERY phenolic and a medicine closet, again very a-typical, liquorice, a very pleasant sweetness.
Finish: finish is sweet, phenolic, everlasting, also getting some citrus notes.
Balance: first time I detect this on an Amrut, a really nice peat BOMB, great to end a nice meal.
Score: 86/100.
Dominic Roskrow
Nose: Trademark orange jelly but with raspberry and blackcurrant, some floral notes (violets?) and an undercarpet of dusty peat
Palate: A Goan curry of a taste, with clean rapier sharp chilli spice and bitter fruits, a big, big mouth feel but tingling rather than burning, and some sharp citrus berry fruits in the chilli mix.
Finish: The fruit fights back but it’s a savoury whisky, with a spicy chilli conclusion, and utterly unforgettable and irresistible.
Benny Ingman
Colour: amber/copper
Nose: sweet, quite mellow, peat smoke, some sherry, chocolate, smoked sausage, brown sugar, some similarities with good Japanese whisky
Mouth: sweet, smoky, fruity and especially like a mature red apple, some sherry, very mellow, a fantastic taste
Finish: as the mouth, very heavy and with a good length
Comments: a very good whisky and the best Amrut ever, for me it was much more peat smoke in the mouth than in the nose, a must buy!
Points: 90
