Godawan Cherry Cask Edition Series 02

Godawan Cherry Cask Edition Series 02

Official bottling
Single malt - Rajasthan
Golden brown
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Milk chocolate, raspberry jam, cherry blossom, malted grains, honey, vanilla, cream, black tea. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, tingly, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Raspberry jam, prunes, milk chocolate, cherry blossom, vanilla, black tea, malted grains, burnt sugar. 
Finish: Medium. Raspberry jam, honey, golden syrup, burnt sugar. 

Comments: 

Sweet and jammy, lots of creamy vanilla as well. There’s some classic sherry tannins too. Overall there’s some notes that indicate a cherry wood cask, but I couldn’t tell unless I was told. An interesting dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Piccadily 6yo 2019/2025

Piccadily 6yo 2019/2025

Selection, Adelphi
Single malt - Haryana
Amber 
52% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cooked rice, cornstarch, liquorice, cough syrup, black pepper, rye bread, hints of blackcurrant cordial. With water, liquorice, yoghurt, blackcurrant cordial, cooked rice. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, expands, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Black tea, black pepper, rye bread, cough syrup, liquorice, cooked rice, blackcurrant cordial. With water, black pepper, rye bread, liquorice, hints of blackcurrant cordial. 
Finish: Short. Blackcurrant cordial, black pepper, malted grains, liquorice. 

Comments: 

White grain-whisky like, it’s mainly the peppery rice notes. But there’s also plenty of Ribena and liquorice, which brings to mind a sherry cask. Water brings out even more pepper and liquorice.

Verdict:

I like this.

Rampur Barrel Blush

Rampur Barrel Blush

Official bottling
Single malt - Uttar Pradesh
Golden
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peanuts, malted grains, damson jam, orange peel, apricots, nutmeg. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, cool, expands, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Damson jam, cucumbers, mint, red grapes, apricots, nutmeg, malted grains. 
Finish: Short. Cloves, peanuts, apricots, malted grains, hints of cucumbers. 

Comments: 

Fruity, but surprisingly vegetal. Lots of stone fruit, mint and cucumbers. Quite a short finish, but surprisingly intense.

Verdict:

I like this.

Paul John Oloroso Cask

Paul John Oloroso Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Goa
Mahogany
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, tobacco leaf, wet stones, strawberry jam, malted grains, acetone. 

Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, hot, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Peanut butter, tobacco leaf, raisins, acetone, wet stones, black tea, menthol, honey. 
Finish: Medium. Peanut butter, parchment, raisins, Demerara sugar. 

Comments: 

Sweet and nutty, lots of well defined layers of flavour. The sherry influence creates notes of raisins, acetone, together with a flinty menthol note. Rather good, complex and interesting.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Godawan PX Sherry Cask Edition Series 01

Godawan PX Sherry Cask Edition Series 01

Official bottling
Single malt - Rajasthan
Amber brown
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Strawberry jam, raisins, chocolate, malted grains, damson jam, dried blueberries. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, airy, expands. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Malted grains, vanilla, raisins, bananas, chocolate, pecans, brown butter, hints of walnut skins. 
Finish: Short. Raisins, strawberry jam, black pepper, fresh baked bread. 

Comments: 

Batch 5/24. Sweet and rich, lots of fruit of course, but there’s also nuttiness (pecans, in this case) and also brown butter. Very well finished whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Paul John PX Cask

Paul John PX Cask

Official bottling 
Single malt - Goa
Amber orange pink 
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cinder toffee, black tea, raisins, aluminium foil, wet stones, marmalade. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, syrupy, thickens, warm. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Black tea, honey, golden syrup, raisins, strawberry laces, burnt sugar, hints of smoke. 
Finish: Medium. Strawberry laces, marmalade, burnt sugar, cinder toffee. 

Comments: 

Sweet and jammy. The PX cask was an active one, imparting a lot of cooked fruit and toffee notes, but there is still some distillate character there, in the form of a little smoke.

Verdict:

I like this.

Indri Trini Three Wood

Indri Trini Three Wood

Official bottling 
Single malt - Haryana
Amber
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange peel, orange juice, vanilla, lemon zest, sultanas, hints of honey. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Honey, orange juice, cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, sultanas. 
Finish: Short. Malted grains, orange juice, cream, brown sugar. 

Comments: 

Quite citrusy and sweet. Not what I expected, it’s quite fresh and not too intense for an Indian whisky. It’s surprisingly refreshing and gentle.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Rampur Asava

Rampur Asava 

Official bottling 
Single malt - Uttar Pradesh
Copper gold 
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, white grapes, blackcurrant jam, hibiscus, honey, hints of milk chocolate, hints of lychees. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, slippery, expands, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Raisins, blackcurrant jam, hibiscus, oatcakes, lychees, black pepper, milk chocolate, hints of hay. 
Finish: Long. Hay, oatcakes, black pepper, hibiscus, honey. 

Comments: 

Sweet and fruity, exactly what’s expected from Rampur. But it’s not as intense as the earlier expressions I’ve tried. Good entry level dram though, lots of nice maltiness attached to the fruit.

Verdict:

I like this.

Amrut Neidhal

Amrut Neidhal

Official bottling 
Single malt - Bangalore 
Light amber
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, smoke, orange peel, soor ploom sweets, mint, honey, fresh cut grass. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, syrupy, oily, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Orange peel, leather, soor ploom sweets, fresh cut grass, smoke, lemon zest, hints of mint. 
Finish: Long. Mint, white pepper, smoke, honey, hints of orange peel. 

Comments: 

Pleasantly smoky, yet fruity Amrut. It’s got a bitter note that’s quite pervasive, but it presents a solid spine for the fruitier notes to play off. Nice long, slightly herbal finish, too.

Verdict:

I like this.

Paul John Kanya

Paul John Kanya

Official bottling 
Single malt - Goa
Amber copper
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peanut butter, honey, vanilla, butterscotch, white pepper, dark chocolate. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, astringent, hot, airy. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Peanut butter, plums, cinnamon, butterscotch, white pepper, dark chocolate, oak chips. 
Finish: Medium. Oak chips, chillies, plums, cinnamon, dark chocolate. 

Comments: 

Nutty and fruity, but also quite woody and spicy. Lots of sweet notes predominate. Showcases the flexibility of Paul John spirit, this reminds me of Australian whisky (especially the nuttiness) but other Paul Johns have reminded me of bourbon.

Verdict:

I like this.

Amrut Special Limited Edition Madeira Finish

Amrut Special Limited Edition Madeira Finish 

Official bottling

Single malt - Bangalore
Amber
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, orange peel, malted grains, chocolate, fresh baked bread, hints of cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, syrupy, warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Orange peel, honey, chocolate, cloves, caramel, raisins, red grapes, white pepper, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Short. Chocolate, white pepper, malted grains, honey, hints of vanilla. 

Comments: 

Quite decadent, spicy and rich and intense. Lots of sweet notes as you’d expect, but a really nice body and a good collection of flavours. I enjoyed this very much.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Paul John 2015/2021

Paul John 2015/2021

Single Cask, Berry Bros & Rudd
Single malt - Goa
Dark gold
58.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, bacon, vanilla, peanuts, sea salt, lemon zest. With water, lemon juice, kombucha, green tea. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter salty. Peanut butter, bacon, smoke, lemon zest, cream, hints of milk chocolate. With water, vanilla, peanut butter, lemon juice. 
Finish: Long. Smoke, peat, vanilla, cream, peanut butter. 

Comments: 

Cask 6414. Quite sharp and nutty, but with a healthy dose of smoke and peat. There are some sweeter notes here, but they’re almost drowned by the meaty smokiness. Quite complex.

Verdict:

I like this.

Paul John Nirvana

Paul John Nirvana

Official bottling 
Single malt - Goa
Amber
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, orange peel, caramel, honey, strawberries, hints of raspberries. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, static, slightly tingly, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Lemon zest, fresh baked bread, honey, caramel, hints of orange peel. 
Finish: Short. Lemon zest, caramel, barley sugar, orange peel. 

Comments: 

Fruity and light, lovely and sweet. The same could be said of many Paul John whiskies. It’s a very consistent distillate. Unfortunately this one isn’t as smashing as the Mithuna, but it’s decent of an evening.

Verdict:

I like this.

Amrut Port Pipe Peated

Amrut Port Pipe Peated

Official bottling 
Single malt - Bangalore
Amber red 
62.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Oranges, red grapes, leather, germolene, mint, hints of smoke. With water, honey, strawberries, red grapes. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, hot, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Leather, peat, sage, strawberries, red grapes, smoke, hints of mint. With water, smoke, tar, red grapes. 
Finish: Medium. Toast, leather, fresh cut grass, peat. 

Comments: 

Cask 2713. Peaty and herbal, with quite a lot of red fruit. I’m not sure where the light citrusy notes are, probably lost in the port finishing. Quite confusing, one of the rare instances where a gentler strength might bring out the best in the whisky. Pleasant nevertheless.

Verdict:

I like this.

Paul John Mithuna

Paul John Mithuna

Official bottling 
Single malt - Goa
Red
58% ABV
Dram

Nose: Butter, red grapes, rose hips, raisins, strawberries, orange blossom, pears, hints of vanilla. With water, oats, raisins, pears, hints of rose hips. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, warm, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Lemon zest, butter, red grapes, rose hips, vanilla, oats, hints of orange blossom, hints of peaches. With water, orange peel, butter, oats, raisins. 
Finish: Long. Lemon zest, orange peel, red grapes, rose hips, hints of peaches. 

Comments: 

This is a heck of a bourbon. Yes, I know it’s a single malt, but it tastes like an excellent bourbon. Lots of robust cereal notes, with a lot of creamy fruit and butter. Utterly delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Amrut Triparva

Amrut Triparva

Official bottling
Single malt - Bangalore

Silver gold
55.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bananas, plums, lemon zest, candle wax, vanilla, cream, hints of cinnamon. With water, lemon zest, honey, cucumber, vanilla.  
Mouthfeel: Light body, hot, tingly, airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Plums, lemon zest, malted grains, green tea, sea salt, hints of candle wax. With water, sweet sour, plums, lemon zest, honey, honeydew melons. 
Finish: Short. Lemon zest, bananas, toasted coconut, green tea. 

Comments: 

A triple distilled whisky from Amrut. Very young of course, but has been finished in quite a few different casks. It’s also got that odd combination of complexity and rawness that (I think) comes from maturation in a warmer climate than Scotland. It’s very pleasant, but I’d prefer a bit more age on it. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Paul John Christmas Edition 2019

Paul John Christmas Edition 2019

Official bottling
Single malt - Goa
Amber
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla sponge, red grapes, black tea, leather, raisins, pear drops. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, airy, slippery, loose. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Peat, leather, red grapes, vanilla sponge, cacao nibs, raisins, hints of cloves. 
Finish: Short. Magic marker, pear drops, red grapes, raisins, cacao nibs. 

Comments: 

Well, it certainly does what it says on the label. Christmas spice, something bitter sweet, lots of chocolate and raisins. Rather young, but I think the cask strength might be very good indeed.

Verdict:

I like this.

Rampur Double Cask

Rampur Double Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Uttar Pradesh
Sunshine yellow
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Mangoes, leather, pears, orange peel, hints of peat, hints of lychees. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, sticky, mouth coating, slightly syrupy. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Mangoes, lychees, honey, chocolate, marmalade, hints of olive oil. 
Finish: Medium. Chocolate, honey, mangoes, lychees, rambutans. 

Comments: 

Rampur, both sherried and bourbon. It's got the wonderful tropical fruit character that I've come to associate with the distillery, loads of mangoes, lychees, and now rambutans. There's a slick, peppery, savoury character to the spirit though, just a hint, like the best virgin olive oil. This is excellent whisky, and I await aged expressions.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Rampur PX Sherry Cask

Rampur PX Sherry Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Uttar Pradesh
Dark gold, tinge of pink
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Dark chocolate, red grapes, dried mangoes, fresh cut grass, raisins, hints of coffee. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, loosens slightly, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Vanilla, dried mangoes, cocoa powder, honey, lychees, hints of coffee. 
Finish: Medium. Coffee, fresh baked bread, raisins, dark chocolate. 

Comments: 

A little PX in your single malt goes a long way. Here the tropical fruit notes in the original Rampur Select have been deepened and mellowed into dark chocolate, coffee and red grapes, Absolutely delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Paul John 6yo 2008/2015

Paul John 6yo 2008/2015

Single Cask Series, Master of Malt
Single malt - Goa
Teakwood
59.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, black tea, honey, sandalwood, hints of haw flakes. With water, red grapes, haw, hints of magic marker. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, volatile, tingly, slightly astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Black tea, prunes, blackcurrant cordial, honey, hints of leather, hints of smoke. With water, sweet salty, leather, malted grains, hints of soy sauce. 
Finish: Long. Leather, smoke, honey, hints of soy sauce. 

Comments: 

This is more complex than any 6 yo whisky has the right to be! There's plenty of fruit of course, but there are also savoury notes of leather and soy sauce, especially after adding some water. It's very good whisky indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.