Eight Amrut on the tasting table


July 10, 2023

Eight Amrut on the tasting table

Amrut

I still remember the first time we stumbled upon an Amrut, that was at one of, if not at the very first Whisky Live festival in Paris. At that time, the only 'other' proper malt whiskies were the Japanese (and a few Bushmills). To be honest, we tried that first Amrut rather reluctantly; well, it was pretty awesome already. And the rep was world-class, which never hurts. Cheers Ashok.

Amrut 'Master Distiller's Reserve' (50%, OB, single cask, limited edition 2023)

Isn't a single cask a limited edition by definition? Right, splitting hairs once more… Colour: gold. Nose: it is a peater, and rather a peater from the earth, not a coastal one. Some tar, some shoe polish, roots, roasting coffee… I'm really fond of these smells of torrefaction. Also walnut wine and cake, which should suggest the use of ex-sherry wood, but it's no sherry monster. With water: a few fumes, then roasted raisins and almonds. Marginally burnt cakes, then the expected mangos. Soft mangos. Mouth (neat): good fun, good interplay between the smoke and the sherry. More walnut cake, charcoal, roasted nuts, chestnut honey, a little pipe tobacco, cigarette ashes… With water: once again some tropical fruits coming out. Smoked yuzu – should anyone ever try to do that. Finish: medium, with a little tar, you could almost call it 'wee Lagavulin' at this stage. Comments: excellent, a little 'trans' (Bangalore x Islay).
SGP:646 - 87 points.

Amrut 'Kurinji' (46%, OB, limited edition, 16,000 bottles, 2023)

It is not extremely clear whether this Indian malt was distilled at Amrut or sourced elsewhere in India, what's sure is that it's 'matured and bottled by Amrut'. Colour: straw. Nose: liquid brioche and croissant au beurre, sunflower oil, buttercream, poached pears, dandelions, mirabelles, quinces, vanilla fudge… Some sides remind me of Glenmorangie, which is no bad news. Mouth: fresh young malt, with more pears, apples, gooseberries, grapefruit, lime, orange blossom water… I'm rather reminded of some fresh young Rosebank of old this time. Finish: medium, very zesty, refreshing. A tiny feeling of Kool-Aid in the aftertaste. Comments: it's less complex than the Master Distiller's, but since this is the month of July, I like it just the same for it is so refreshing (so, careful).
SGP:651 - 87 points.

Amrut 5 yo 2017/2022 'Ex Madeira Cask' (60%, OB, La Maison du Whisky, cask #8844, 200 bottles)

Colour: full gold. Nose: punchy, starting with a little sweet mustard not unseen in ex-Madeira whiskies, unfolding on ripe mangos, viognier, gewurz and lavender honey. Brilliant. With water: still a little mustardy, otherwise on pastries and with rather less boisterously aromatic wines. Couldn't have been more of that. Mouth (neat): hugely tropical, citrusy, with even more mangos and bags of oranges. Very 'Amrut'. With water: totally lovable, top Amrut, top tropical jams, it's full or ripe bananas and mangos, but never, ever, well, shall I say it, 'slutty'. Wonderful cask. Finish: long, richly aromatic and yet very fresh. Some ready-made fruit cocktail for ***** hotel bars. Perhaps London's Lanesborough? First time I ever stumbled upon a £1,000 dram, I think it was an old Bowmore, around the year 2000. I chose something else. Comments: superb, very typical Amrut.
SGP:651 - 90 points.

Amrut 7 yo 2015/2022 'Ex Oloroso Cask Lightly Peated' (60%, OB, La Maison du Whisky, cask #3822)

Colour: full gold. Nose: smoked bacon! Plus ripe bananas and, once more, mangos, but I find it a tad closed, quite possibly because of the hight strength. With water: indeed, smoked bacon, plus gunpowder, struck matches, coffee beans, beef jerky, raw toasted chocolate beans (that's so good!), the usual old walnuts, lit cigar… Mouth (neat): indeed it is a little strong. Smoked oranges or something? Plus clove and bay leaves? Cracked pepper? With water: something else, something a little unusual. Smoked tropical fruits, perhaps, bits of toasted wood, dark tobacco… Remember when we used to smoke untipped cigarettes, quite some years ago? Craven 'A', Senior Service, Bensons, Gauloises… Finish: long, a little salty, with more old walnuts and bits of tobacco (coming out of those untipped cigarettes). I'm afraid we're going to end up having problems with anti-smoking leagues even before the anti-alcohol ones. Comments: perhaps a little extreme, in fact. A wee death-seat-effect after the Ex Madeira.
SGP:364 - 87 points.

Perhaps a few older ones, without spending too much time on them…

Amrut (61.2%, Blackadder, Raw Cask, cask #BA27-2017, 162 bottles, 2017)

This is a peater but actually, it was only finished in ex Islay peated cask. That nasty trick that works! Silver at the MM Awards 2017. Colour: gold. Nose: ripe tropical fruits with a thin layer of peat smoke. Awesome and very strong. With water: we're on Islay. Mud, chalk, bandages, kelp, porridge, tarry ropes, hessian, dunnage, oysters… Mouth (neat): you do feel the extra-layer of salty, coastal peat. A lot of lemon. Nah, it's beautiful. With water: beautiful indeed, very Islay. After all, Laphroaig and Bowmore could display a lot of tropicalness too. Finish: long, smoky, citrusy, coastal. Comments: perfect mutant in-cask blend. This was done in 2017, otherwise I would have asked 'wasn't the set-up suggested by ChatGPT?'.
SGP:555 - 88 points.

Amrut 4 yo 2014/2018 (56.5%, OB for Tiger's Selection Taiwan, PX sherry, cask #4683, 360 bottles)

Colour: office coffee. Nose: walnut wine, PX, dried figs, prunes, armagnac Ténarèze, Corinth currants, rose petals (just three of them). Perfect. With water: ten litres of fig wine, plus beef stock and biltong. Mouth (neat): full juicy sultanas with a little caraway and menthol. And old PX, rather towards Malaga. With water: all raisins of the creation, Carole Bouquet's Pantelleria (check it), moscatel, PX. And it is not stuffy, mind you. Finish: long, sweet, thick, very raisiny but with some elegance. Comments: was that fast enough for you? Great sweet young PXed Amrut.
SGP:751 - 88 points.

Amrut 2012/2017 'Double Cask Bourbon & Port Pipe' (46%, OB, 1,850 bottles, 2017)

They still have this one at Bezos's currently, which I find a little scary. I believe they've vatted the two casks together, it's not just a finishing or double-maturation. Colour: light amber. Nose: totally on clove, caraway and tomato leaves, with some peat smoke in the background. Funny one. Mouth: spicy and smoky cassis and more caraway and pepper. Perhaps not the epitome of integration. Finish: long and very spicy. Comments: a little un-Amrut, if I may Take this, Bezos!
SGP:373 - 79 points.

Last one…

Amrut 8 yo 'Greedy Angels' (50%, OB, ex-bourbon, 1,350 bottles, 2017)

There was a 12 yo 'Greedy Angels' in 2016, and a 8 yo 'Little Greedy Angels' in 2022, but we've never tried this 8 yo 'Greedy Angels' from 2017 before. They're all 'chairman's reserves' but in India too, chairmen are very generous, altruistic and ready to part with they own stocks. Colour: gold. Nose: fully on honeys, mango jam, vanilla, maize bread, dried coconut, peanut butter and nougat. With water: same, perhaps a tad more vanilla-ed yet. Mouth (neat): excellently fruity, on oranges and mangos, very typically Amrut. More nougat, sweet maize, praline, fudge… With water: bananas and even pineapples. Very fruity. Finish: medium, fruity, joyful, easy, tropical. Almost some Indian daiquiri. Comments: very easy drop, very good, perhaps just a little too quaffable. Of course not.
SGP:641 - 88 points.

Check the index of all Indian whiskies we've tasted so far