Amrut adds Kadhambam to the mix
If variety is the spice of life, then Amrut, the Indian distiller, is making an important contribution with its latest limited edition single malt whisky.
Kadhambam is a malt which captures a variety of characteristics from its range of personalities and is perfectly illustrated in its name which means “mixture” in Tamil, one of the languages of southern India. This unique whisky was created from an experiment with one single batch of spirit being matured in a variety of casks at the Bangalore distillery of Amrut Distilleries Ltd.
“We were striving to come up with a completely different whisky with multi-personality characteristics,” explains Ashok Chokalingam of Amrut Distilleries Ltd. “The multiple notes of aromas derived from the individual casks make Kadhambam quite unique.”
Kadhambam is the result of Amrut Single Malt Whisky and a small portion of Amrut Peated Single Malt Whisky being initially matured in ex-Oloroso sherry butts. It was then put in ex-Bangalore Blue Brandy casks and matured for a further period. Next it was emptied into ex-rum casks and matured for a further period. Both the brandy and rum casks had previously been used to mature Amrut’s own rum and brandy – which are immensely popular in the Indian market.
Not only did the maturation involve a mixture of casks, it depended on carefully judging the different lengths of time spent in the individual casks. “As the three different ex-casks were going to offer different profiles, we had to be careful on the length of maturation,” explains Ashok.
With a truly unique whisky and such a limited number of bottles (234) released, it is expected that Kadhambam will be extremely popular when it is launched at the Potstill Festival on 1 October, 2010, in the Dutch town of Amersfoort.
In keeping with its recent decision to launch each of its new limited edition products with a different international importer, Amrut has chosen its Dutch importer, Van Wees Holland, as its launch partner for Kadhambam.
Maurice van Wees, director, is excited by this innovative whisky. “Kadhambam struck me like lightning, the complexity is enormous, this is the most adventurous single malt I have ever tasted.”
He added: “It is another fine example of the continuous search for quality for money and thinking outside the box by Amrut Distillers: not only the quality surprises the malt connoisseur every time, but also the diversity.”
Bert Bruyneel, a Malt Maniac from Belgium, acknowledges that there are risks involved in introducing too much variety in a whisky, but for Kadhambam he says: “I absolutely adore this kind of experimenting, although I’m afraid that if we do too many different things, one would overrule the other… . Anyhow, in this particular case, the result is very satisfying.”
The creator of Spirit of Islay, Gordon Homer thinks the mixture of casks for maturation is interesting. “This seems to have added to the sweetness on the nose and on the palate compared to the standard Amruts. I’ve seen whisky matured in one of the there types of casks, but never one moved through all three! It certainly makes an interesting and different expression from Amrut.”
Kadhambam will be available in Europe, Scandinavia and Western Canada.
Notes
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.
In The Whisky Bible 2010, leading whisky expert, Jim Murray awarded Amrut Fusion Single Malt Whisky the title of World’s Third Best Whisky. Murray said Fusion “has to be one of the great whiskies found anywhere in the word this year”. Admitting his No 3 choice could come as a surprise to some people, he said: “The fact that it is Indian? Irrelevant, from distillation to maturation this is a genius whisky from whichever continent.”
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.
One of the Amrut Single Malt Whisky bottlings by Blackadder International won “The Best Daily Dram” category of Malt Maniacs 2008 Awards. All the Amrut brands entered into the same competition won silver and bronze medals.
Amrut Peated Malt Cask Strength Whisky won Silver and Amrut Single Malt Cask Strength Whisky Bronze at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in 2008.
Amrut is now sold widely in Europe (UK, Netherlands, France, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Spain), Canada, South Africa, Australia and the United States.
Further information: Van Wees Holland
Founded in 1921 as a tobacconist in the Dutch town of Amersfoort, Van Wees has been distributing spirits since 1963, quickly gaining an international reputation as a whisky specialist. Van Wees has distributed Amrut whiskies since 2006.
www.whiskyworld.nl
Further information: tasting notes in full
Gordon Homer
Creator of Spirit of Islay website www.spiritofislay.net
A polished gold in colour, beautifully oily in the glass, the first thing that gets you on the nose is the Amrut liquorice (always a good sign!), then Millionaires shortbread (shortbread, caramel toffee and chocolate). Quite a sweet nose actually, very luxurious, very creamy with a slight floral hint. Very luxurious and oily across the palate as well with a lovely sweetness, the liquorice comes to the fore just ahead of oak, vanilla and toffee. The finish is long, oaky and quite dry with the Amrut trademark liquorice coming in right at the end. Another classic Amrut, the nose is an absolute dream, the stand out feature of this dram, the palate ain’t too bad either!
To say this has a slight portion of peated malt you can’t really tell from tasting it, interesting that it’s been matured consecutively in sherry butts, ex-brandy casks and ex-rum casks as this seems to have added to the sweetness on the nose and on the palate compared to the standard Amruts. I’ve seen whisky matured in one of the there types of casks but never one moved through all three! It certainly makes an interesting and different expression from Amrut.
Serge Valetin
Malt Maniac and creator of Whisky Fun website www.whiskyfun.com
Colour: gold. Nose: starts fresh and quite caramelised, with notes of black cherries and kirsch as well as quite some coffee. Gets then a tad meaty, with also a little strawberry sauce and dark chocolate. Orange blossom. Sort of multidimensional. With water: unusual herbal notes come through now, with a little ginger tonic, capsicum and maybe peat… All that on a bed of barley sugar. Rather smooth. Mouth (neat): rather oily, rich, with again notes of cherries and chocolate. Goes on with some toasted brioche and quite some malt as well as roasted nuts. With water: some pleasant notes of cinchona, the whole being quite sweet. Candy sugar and sweet pepper. Finish: rather long, perfectly balanced, with a sweet spiciness. Sweet mustard and peat in the aftertaste. Comments: it has something of some recent Highland Park from refill sherry, such as the St Magnus 12yo. A rather complex dram, with a profile that’s quite unique in its ‘wideness’. SGP:552 – 85 points.
Bert Bruyneel
Malt Maniac, Belgium
Nose: starts with loads of the typical Amrut liquorice, quickly getting citrus notes (oranges), some humus, slight hints of mineral, nice herbal notes, very complex and a subtle smokiness. Palate: quiet spicy and a bit dry, a great mouth feel, less the liquorice but more fruity notes, citrus, peaches, some slight tropical hints, gets even nicer with time, a wee waxiness, some hints of oak and again a wee smokiness.
Finish: the finish is fresh, complex, gets some sweet vanilla, remains spicy and nicely evolving until the very end. Balance: again seems much older than it is, nice and superbly balanced product, but I have to admit I am a fan of the Amrut expressions …
Score: 87/100.
Comments: I absolutely adore this kind of experimenting, although I’m afraid that if we do too many different things, one would overrule the other and we wouldn’t see the forest anymore because of the trees standing before it. Anyhow, in this particular case, the result is very satisfying.
Dominic Roskrow
Drinks industry journalist and whisky writer
Nose: Needs a few seconds to settle but then there’s a wave of mint, cherry flavoured throat lozenge (Strepsils) and soft orange jelly. Palate: Kicks and starts like a stallion at a rodeo. Very fruity, sweet and soft with orange Starburst to the fore, then a wave of white pepper spice kicks in, rising like a wave and finally mince pies and rumtoft-soaked berries finish the taste off. Finish: Long and sweet.
Benny Ingman
President of Carlstad Whisky Connoisseurs, Sweden
Colour: gold
Nose: sweet with some sugar, oak wood, some vanilla, fruit and especially tropical ones, some coconut, bacon, a trace of sherry. Mouth: sweet and sugary, peppery, fruity, not as mellow as the nose. Finish: as the mouth with a quite good length and some tropical fruits. Comments: a good whisky in all aspects but maybe not quite as exciting as its name and description. Points: 84
