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Top 10 Indian single malt whisky brands
From industry veterans to new releases tapping into rising demand, Renuka Kennedy gives a rundown of the Indian single malt whisky brands you should know about.
Indian distilleries continue to launch single malt whiskies that are sourced and made in the country, as pride for locally manufactured products is encouraging Indian consumers to choose local expressions over foreign ones.
Growing economic freedom for a proportion of India’s population is giving rise to home-grown spirits, as people are able to purchase more alcohol than before. In addition to noting high sales figures domestically, Indian single malt brands are also getting global recognition. So which are the brands making the most noise?
Amrut
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Sold in nearly 60 countries, Amrut Distilleries put Indian single malt whiskies on the map. It was the first in the country to start producing whiskies by blending barley with malt. The barley, sourced from Punjab and Rajasthan (areas known for their fertile soil and favourable climate) gives the whisky its smooth and rich taste. Given its increasing popularity and demand, the company is now looking to triple its production and sell three million bottles each year.
Indri
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Part of the Piccadily Group’s extensive portfolio of distilleries, sugar mills and hotels, Indri is another spirits brand demonstrating that made-in-India whiskies are gaining traction. Manufactured at the conglomerate’s Piccadily Distilleries, the whiskies have six-row barley from Rajasthan as their key ingredient. This organically cultivated grain gives the drink its fruity and floral notes. Indri is also set to grow, and Siddharth Sharma, the founder of Piccadily Distilleries, predicts that the unit will make 20 thousand litres of liquor daily as of 2025.
Paul John
Owned by John Distilleries’ Paul P John, Paul John began as a label selling blended whiskies before the company branched into single malts with the inauguration of its single malt distillery in 2009. Its first expression from the site followed in 2012. Parent company John Distilleries operates more than 20 distilleries. With its expressions sold in 45 countries, Paul John ranks as one of the largest whisky makers, selling 1.8 million bottles each month. Figures are predicted to double in 2024 with plans to open 10 more distilleries.
Rampur
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Rampur Indian single malt whiskies are one of Radico Khaitan’s prized possessions. Manufactured at the Rampur Distilleries, the company attributes the cold weather of the Himalayas and India’s summer to the single malt’s unique taste. The company is equipped to manufacture three million litres of liquor. However, it has struggled with volumes in recent months. Sanjeev Banga, who is responsible for the brand’s global reach, told NDTV Profit earlier this year that the company had to cease its exports to the international market due to the scarcity of malt and the lengthy maturation process.
Kamet
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Peak Spirits launched its single malt whisky marque Kamet in March 2021 when the world was going through the COVID-19 pandemic. Ansh Khanna, Peak Spirits’ founder, explained to the Economic Times that the company strategised its business to cope with the then-market conditions and noted good sales in India and the US. Kamet is now available in 13 countries worldwide, including the domestic market.
Godawan
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Diageo embarked on its first Indian single malt project in 2022, launching Godawan. The six-row barley from Rajasthan used in its production undergoes more than 100 degrees of heat and is kept in casks with botanicals like rasna and jatamansi, to produce a strongly-flavoured whisky.
Longitude 77
Pernod Ricard India’s latest addition to its alcoholic beverage portfolio is its single malt Longitude 77, available in Indian cities including Mumbai, Delhi and Goa. The brand will soon venture into the foreign market beginning with Dubai. Jean Touboul, Pernod Ricard India’s CEO, has now announced plans to open a distillery plant in India’s Nagpur with an investment fund of nearly £171 million. The company predicts to produce a daily quantity of 60 thousand litres of malt spirits in this plant.
Solan Gold
Mohan Meakin, the company behind India’s most popular rum brand Old Monk, is also the team behind the single-malt label Solan Gold produced at the company-owned Kasauli Brewery and Distillery. As a product of a well-established organisation, it is no surprise that it was one of the top-selling whiskies in 2022, with a sale of 20,000 bottles.
Three Monkeys
Three Monkeys is a single malt whisky brand hailing from Cheers Group. The Goan company manufactures all its beverages, including the Three Monkeys Single Malt Whisky, at its distillery, Imperial Distillers and Vintners Pvt. Ltd. The group’s executive director Ashwin Balivada says the city’s high temperatures are responsible for the faster maturation process, giving the drink a smooth texture. Cheers Group plans to take Three Monkeys to the international market starting with the US and France.
GianChand
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Devans Modern Breweries’ decision to hop on the Indian single malt trend resulted in its brand GianChand. Prepared in the company’s self-made copper stills, GianChand is available in select states in India, and company chairman Prem Dewan has plans to expand to 10 Indian states, with hopes to sell 20 thousand cases in the future.