Amrut 2014 Special Limited Edition Selected by La Maison du Whisky 7 yo

 

 

 

60°

Distillery : Amrut - India 

Ex-Bourbon Cask and Brandy Finish

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2021

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

The famous Indian distillery has released nearly 100 Special Limited Editions, but only a few have been selected by La Maison du Whisky for priority sale on the French market. This one has been finished in a brandy cask, which is rather unusual. 150 bottles have been made available for sale. The spirit has not been chill-filtered or coloured, however I doubt it is cask strength – at exactly 60% ABV, that would be a strange coincidence. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

A lovely balance right from the start, fruit preserved in brandy, grapes in liqueur, macerated cherries, flaked almonds, lychees, raspberry coulis, peppers marinated in oil, strawberry cake, shortcrust pastry, acacia honey, heady floral notes, cherry blossom, damson plums. On the palate, it leans more towards jam, blackberries and redcurrants, with some dried fruit, creamy vanilla, brioche. Quite pronounced spices, slightly minty. A powerful, long and explosive finish, more leafy, bay leaves, black pepper, candied fruit, soft caramel. Touch of mango.

 

In Short, 

This is a truly fine Amrut. To be honest, I’ve never really been convinced by this distillery, but this bottling has won me over. The nose is a true work of art, the palate is perfectly fruity, and the finish is long and explosive. It’s a real success. However, it’s sold out almost everywhere, and when you do find it, the price is quite high, so it’s best reserved for fans of the profile. 

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                             To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                             Sahalé - Djinn

Amrut 2017 Collection Foundations Ex-Oloroso Peated 6 yo

 

 

 

60°

Distillery : Amrut - India 

Oloroso Sherry Cask 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Lightly Peated

 

 

 

As well as having produced India's first Single Malt Whisky, the Amrut group is constantly experimenting and launching new bottlings. Although only 0.25% of their alcohol production is Single Malt Whisky, some bottlings are real curiosities, like this one, aged for 6 years and 11 months in a single Oloroso Sherry cask, for a total of 462 bottles. As whisky ages two to three times faster in India, with more than half the cask having disappeared at a rate of 11% of angels' share per year, this is a truly exceptional product.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Beautiful fullness from the oloroso, combined with ash and a bewitching, slightly dry smoke. It's unctuous, fragrant leather, red berries and dried fruits, apricots, raspberries, figs, dates, redcurrants. Exotic wood, cinnamon. It's velvety and elegant on the palate, despite hints of soot and charcoal, with intense fruit, quinces, forest berries, lively spices, nutmeg and cloves. Long and heady finish, fried bacon, red fruit coulis, charcoal. Heather honey, crushed peanuts. A slight herbal touch.

 

In Short, 

It's some of the best stuff you'll find from Amrut, the age is right, and the Oloroso Sherry cask is of good quality, all in all it makes a very good product. However, I find it a little lacking in character and personality. As for the price, I find it astronomical for what it is.

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Blood Cultures - Set it on Fire

Amrut 2015 Peated Port Pipe New Vibrations 8 yo

 

 

 

60°

Distillery : Amrut - India

Port Pipe

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Heavily Peated

 

 

 

For Whisky Live Paris 2023, Amrut emptied two casks, both of Port. The difference between the two is that one is peated and the other is not. I naturally focused on the peated one. Aged 8 years, it produced 486 bottles, sold primarily in France as part of the Collection New Vibrations. It is not Cask Strength, contrary to what is advertised everywhere, but reduced to 60°. What's more, no one had the courtesy to tell what the ppm level was, but I'd estimate it to be between 35 and 40, more or less.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Very fruity on the nose, but coated with soot, blackcurrants, raspberries, lingonberries, gooseberries, blackberries, bilberries, mangoes, all very juicy and intense. Some meaty hints, bacon, beef jerky and dark chocolate. Very light iodine. On the palate, it's all the same, dates and red fruits, with more of a strawberry flavour but without acidity, and a variety of deep spices, nutmeg, cinnamon, cumin and Espelette pepper. Small lardons, a sprinkling of salt, damsons. Peat remains in the background. The finish is lovely, long and explosive, with cherries and curry, heather earth, sandalwood and pine needles.

 

In Short, 

The peat is very present, but the port is so intense that it is somewhat sidelined. This is a very pleasant whisky, you just have to like port. The finish is particularly good, as you can feel the woody touches. For an 8-year-old, the price is quite excessive, even if I know that ageing is not the same in the tropics.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Habibti Ensemble - Baghdad

Amrut 2014 Special Limited Edition Ex-Caroni c. 5143

 

 

 

60° 

Distillery : Amrut - India

Ex-Caroni Rum Cask

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2020

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Almost Unpeated

 

 

 

Amrut and Caroni, who thought of it first? This bottling, launched exclusively on the French market by La Maison du Whisky via its French Connections label, is a fine marketing operation. It's aged entirely in a Single Cask from the legendary distillery, which closed in 2010. Only 156 bottles were produced. It is highly likely that the juice is 6 years old, but this is not absolutely certain, as both the distillation and bottling took place in August. On the other hand, this is not a Cask Strength, as all Amrut Special Limited Edition casks are 60°. They are single casks, so it is impossible to modulate the alcohol content by crossing the casks. So water has been added. Not to be confused with the Cask 5144, distilled the same year, but bottled in 2021, also aged in a Single Caroni cask.   

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The sweetness of rum. Icing sugar, reeds, beetroot, vanilla bean, exotic wood. Behind, the character of Amrut, spices, tinder and mahogany, Armenian paper, clove. Grassy and satiny, earthy, with roots, tubers, cucurbits and a hint of chalk. Rougher on the palate, frosted lemon, a chalky hint of iodine and peat, fairly strong spices, cumin and cloves, a long, punchy finish, cinnamon and parsley, honeysuckle, chlorophyll. Humus. Dark and damp earth.

 

In Short, 

The influence of the Caroni cask makes a very beautiful nose, so magnificent that at first I thought I was drinking real rum. The Amrut identity then emerges, and is more prominent on the palate, which remains young and not very complex. The finish, on the other hand, is deep and rich. It's a little more than a curiosity, it's really interesting and enjoyable. There are a few minor flaws, though. The price is too high in my opinion, that must also be the influence of the Caroni cask.

Score : 88 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Anoushka Shankar - Bhairavi

Amrut Fusion

 

 

 

50°

Distillery : Amrut - India

Ex-Bourbon Casks 

Original Bottling 

Core Range 

Single Malt 

Launched in 2009

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 23 ppm

 

 

 

Amrut Fusion is made from two types of barley. The first comes from Scotland, more precisely from the Port Ellen malting plant, and the second from the Himalayas, growing at an altitude of 3,000 metres. Although there is no mention of age on the bottle, the product is said to have matured for 6 years, which is a long time in the tropics where the angels' share exceeds 10% a year.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Various and colourful spices with peat in a fairly maritime profile. Interesting balance. Iodine and white fruits, plums, grapes, vanilla. Very slight minerality, dry rock that burns in the sun. Quite fruity on the palate, with some exotic fruits and breadfruit. Juicy mango, candied pineapple, slightly overripe maracuja. Chocolate truffles, whipped cream. Turmeric, nutmeg. Good finish, but not exceptional, woody, liquorice, rich earth, palm leaves. Mangrove.

In Short, 

I couldn't find the Himalayan hallmarks, but in any case, it's a good product, original and interesting, and the high alcohol content gives it a punch. Worth a try for peat lovers looking for a change.

Score : 84

                                           To Be Listenend While Sipping :

  

                                           Kokoroko Afrobeat Collective - Colonial Mentality

Amrut Peated Indian

 

 

 

46°

Distillery : Amrut - India

Orignal Bottling 

Core Range 

Single Malt 

Launched in 2009

Unchillfiltered

Peated around 24 ppm 

Amrut Peated Indian's very first batch dates back to 2008, but it contained 62,78° of alcohol. From the 2nd batch onwards, the juice was reduced to the current level. The barley distilled for this expression was grown in Scotland, probably on the island of Islay, by the Port Ellen Maltings. The distillation, however, took place in India. No further details are given about the ageing, but I suspect bourbon casks.

Let's Taste It : 

Slightly ashy and grainy peat, colourful Indian spices that give off a variety of different scents, vanilla, chestnut, fig. Exotic fruits, mango, papaya, pineapple. A hint of lemon and iodine. On the palate, a good balance between the moisture of the peat and the fruity aromas. Heather earth, coal, rock, damp wood and citrus. Good finish, of decent length, on caramel and wood. Sweet and savoury, a little spicy with peppery molasses and nutmeg.

In Short, 

Although the barley comes directly from Islay, the expression is typically Indian, and the peat blends advantageously with this exotic profile. It's worth buying, the price is decent as long as you look hard enough.

Score : 84

 

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                          Tommy Guerrero - Nomadic Static

Amrut Cask Strength Batch 94

 

 

 

61,8°

Distillery : Amrut - India 

Bourbon Casks

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition

Single Malt

Bottled in 2018

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Almost Unpeated

 

 

 

The Amrut spirits brand was founded in 1948, but it wasn't until 2004 that they finally began producing Single Malt Whisky. In India, whisky matures three times faster, but evaporates five times faster than in Scotland. The Cask Strength version has been produced since 2006. The alcohol content varies from batch to batch, so this is a true cask strength.

Let's Taste It : 

Scents of vanilla, caramel and spices, cloves, sandalwood, ginger and nutmeg. Mangrove, rainforest, humidity-soaked earth, but all quite fruity nonetheless. On the palate, a few white fruits, some exotic aromas, papaya and maracuja, but the pepper rises very quickly and starts to hammer. The finish is quite violent, you can feel it coming through. A hint of honey, though, with an ounce of fruit, sugar and caramel. Braised chestnuts, thyme and tarragon.

In Short, 

It's pleasant and quite good, but a little too full-bodied for me. Beyond the violence of the alcohol, it lacks nuance and subtlety.

Score : 85

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :

   

                                          The Clash - Should I Stay or Should I Go