What's your favorite single malt?

[Drunk Monk]

India’s Craft Distillers Are Shaking Up the World’s Biggest Whisky Market
David Fuhrmann-Lim

4 MINUTE READ

Close your eyes and imagine a distillery making exceptional, single malt Scotch.

You might envision gray Islay or scenic Speyside. Or perhaps the fecund woods of Kyoto, where Yamazaki is made. A cooler climate locale, certainly, where distillers wear wool sweaters to brave the chill.

India probably does not immediately come to mind. But that might change, once you open your eyes.

[img=500x0]https://static.vinepair.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/amrut-internal-2.jpg[/img]
Credit: Instagram.com/amrutmalt

India’s centuries-old whisky history is evolving, from record-breaking import figures to high-quality homegrown expressions. Two distilleries, Amrut and Paul John, based in Bangalore and Goa, respectively, have spent the better part of the last decade quietly and quickly gaining an international reputation for their spirits.

Last year, Whisky Advocate named Amrut Spectrum the World Whisky of the Year, and the U.K.’s Independent called Amrut Fusion, a single malt made with Scottish and Indian barley “a wonderful whisky.” Meanwhile, among the many accolades for Paul John Single Malt was a Double Gold at the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

In other words, India isn’t the world’s next big whisky market. India’s modern whisky movement is already well underway.

CENTURIES OF WHISKY

The British Raj is believed to have brought Scottish whisky to India as early as the middle of the 19th century. Among the earliest records of India importing the stuff is from 1909 (though many locals strongly opposed the introduction of this “foreign poison”).

Fast-forward to 2018, and the Scotch Whisky Association reports that India is currently its third-largest export market. Over the past five years, whisky sales in India grew by 15 percent, according to the IWSR. Indians consumed 1.5 billion liters of whisky in 2014, versus America’s 462 million liters.

India’s homegrown whisky distilling began more recently. Bangalore’s Amrut Distilleries, a rum and brandy producer founded in 1948, began producing single malt whisky using locally grown barley. The company introduced its Amrut Single Malt in Glasgow, Scotland in 2004, before selling it in India. Amrut now sells in 22 countries worldwide.

Paul John followed suit, launching its first whisky in the U.K. in 2012, and in India in 2013.

EMBRACING THE ELEMENTS

The country’s tropical humidity doesn’t strike one as ideal for whisky making or, more importantly, barrel aging, because, well, heat. But Amrut and Paul John have found success by embracing what is unique about their weather conditions, and using it to their advantage.

Let’s start with angel’s share, the mysterious portion that disappears from barrels as the spirits lay sleeping. In cooler whisky regions, the loss rate might be 2 percent per year. According to Amrut’s head distiller, Surinder Kumar, its barrels in the Bangalore warehouses lose up to a whopping 15 percent a year into the ether.

“I think as much as the heat creates problems in terms of angel’s share, it also helps us to bottle the whisky at an average age of five years,” he says. “This can be compared easily with some 15 year olds in Scotch scale.” In other words, Bangalore’s heat speeds up the aging process, resulting in beautifully matured spirits in a fraction of the time. In 2013, Kumar estimated that “one year of maturing in India would be equal to three in Scotland.”

In these compressed timespans, Amrut, which is the Sanskrit word for “nectar of the gods,” has been able to produce intense and mature whiskies that, coupled with its six-row barley, soil conditions, and creative use of casks, are now being sought by collectors.

“We use varieties of American and European casks. The former is both virgin oak and ex-bourbon barrels,” Kumar says. “A specialty from Amrut is the Spectrum barrel (a hybrid barrel made with five different types of oak staves, the first in the world). The Spectrum barrel is something we are proud of and no one else has done this before.”

Amrut Spectrum has bold flavors of butterscotch, nuts, rum, licorice, and chili-spiked chocolate.

[img=800x0]https://static.vinepair.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/amrut-internal1.jpg[/img]
Credit: Facebook.com/AmrutMalt

THE NEXT WAVE

While Amrut has been the pioneer in creating Indian single malt whiskies, younger upstart Paul John is no less creative or competitive.

The distillery is based in Goa, an area better known for raves and gap-year hippies than culinary culture. But from the get-go, the plan was to make full-bodied, world-class whiskies; so Paul John’s distillers imported peat from Scotland to get a head start.

Because Paul John faced the same climate issues as Amrut, it decided to focus on the flavors of the whiskies, and not the age statements.

“We decided to work with the environment,” Michael D’Souza, master distiller, says. “We designed two warehouses, one underground and the other above ground level, we chose our casks carefully, and our brewing and fermentation procedures had to be tailored differently.”

In 2012, the first Paul John Single Malt was produced and was quickly followed by new flagship expressions Brilliance and Edited. Brilliance has a sweet, spicy smoothness offset by cocoa and slight saltiness (Goa is known for its beaches), and Edited is a peaty, smoky spirit with hints of mint and mocha.

The accolades started flowing faster than the distillate: Gold awards at both the International Whisky Competition as well as at the World Whisky Masters. Whisky authority Jim Murray of “The Whisky Bible“ also gave the Edited a rating of 96.5. (To compare, the Laphroaig 10 Years is 90, the Talisker 12 Years is 86.)

[img=500x0]https://static.vinepair.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/pauljohn-internal1.jpg[/img]
Credit: Instagram.com/PaulJohnWhisky

THE VALUE OF TASTINGS

The tropical climate and humidity helped in a quicker extraction of certain wood compounds such as Demerara sugars, vanilla, orange blossom honey, and chocolate, giving the distillers a more intense and richly flavored spirit in a much shorter timespan.

But the two brands still had to overcome one prejudice: the fact that they were making Indian whiskies.

“When we started there was no benchmark,” Kumar says. “Indian single malt was unheralded and Indian whisky [thought to be] IMFL.” (That stands for Indian Made Foreign Liquor, which comprises rum, brandy, or whisky. Such products are often made from molasses and considered crude.)

Much in the way that the Judgement of Paris put American wine on the global stage, blind tastings helped both master distillers get their single malts noticed.

“We believe blind tasting is the best way to crack the myths and prejudices,” Kumar says. “Consumers are more open to the idea of world whiskies now, but we still have a long way to go in terms of education.” The heat is on.

Published: March 12, 2018

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

A fencer from my old club, a pleasant and funny young engineer from India, was a single-malt fan. He brought in a bottle of Amrut for us to try. His suggestion was to ignore the first sip. The tip was sound and the whisky was good.

[Drunk Monk]

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[Greg]

For Whiskey it is all about the bottle.

[Drunk Monk]

Can't judge a book by its cover or a booze by its bottle...

...but Dylan man.  Dylan.

I drank Bob Marley energy drinks (very mediocre) and Bruce Lee Tea (not bad - I'll indulge in a can now and again).  I'll definitely try some Dylan whiskey.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Marketing Maketh the Booze.

[Drunk Monk]

[/url]

[url=https://thetakeout.com/112-year-old-woman-credits-longevity-to-whiskey-1829202941]112-year-old woman credits longevity to nightly dram of single malt whiskey



Allison Shoemaker
Yesterday 1:45pm
Filed to:WHISKEY


Photo: Marina113 (iStock)

The oldest person in Great Britain celebrated her 112th birthday this week, and to mark the occasion, she gave away her secret to longevity: A dram of single malt whiskey, every night for the last sixty years.
Grace “Amazing Grace” Jones, who was born in Liverpool in 1906, told the Daily Mail that she has a nightcap of Famous Grouse Single Malt Whiskey nightly, and has done so for 62 years. That means she began this tradition in 1956. One hopes she is being sent a large case of free Famous Grouse right now as thanks for the loyal patronage and great publicity.
“I never miss my nightcap,” she told the paper:

All I have is the whisky at night. Whisky is very good for you. I started having a nightly tot of it when I turned 50 so I’ve been having it every night for the last 60 years and I certainly have no intention of stopping now. My doctor said, ‘keep up with the whisky Grace, it’s good for your heart’.”

Role model

[Greg]

Did you notice she only has one dram every night? Did you miss that part? Only one dram. Do you have that much control?

I come by my hater badge honestly.

[cranefly]

Keep it up DM, if you want your knickers to be all pink.

That's a side effect she neglected to mention.

[Drunk Monk]

Should You Drink a $1 Million Bottle of Whisky?[/url]
DALE DE LA REY/Getty Images
A recent spike in single malt Scotch auction prices has us wondering if these bottles are meant to be opened.
[url=https://www.foodandwine.com/contributors/adam-campbell-schmitt]ADAM CAMPBELL-SCHMITT 
October 15, 2018
Whisky is a spirit that certainly has range—from the watery well whisky served as part of a $5 beer-and-a-shot special to premium and rare labels that demand thousands of dollars per pour. Recently, the top of that range has ascended even higher as record-breaking auctions have raised the bar on what people will pay for a single a bottle. Over this past weekend, expectations were high that we’d see another whopping figure when Sotheby’s put a Peter Blake-designed bottle of The Macallan 1926 60 Year on the block in New York City, but the actual sale price (buyer's premium included) fell short at only $843,200 (only!). That same Scotch (with a label designed by Valerio Adami) had previously raked in $1.101 million at Bonhams in Edinburgh earlier this year, setting the current world record. So what happens now? Why is Scotch suddenly so valuable? Has the luxury liquor market peaked? And should these buyers actually drink their million-dollar whisky? I asked experts from The Macallan and Sotheby’s to weigh in ahead of Saturday’s auction.

What creates value in whisky?
Before we dive into why whisky auction prices have boomed, it’s important to understand why not all whiskies are created equal. Some valuable attributes—like which ingredients and water are used (and from where), which barrels are chosen, and the time spent letting alcohol age before bottling—are apparent, but they're also, seemingly, duplicatable by any number of distilleries. That's where supply and brand recognition come into play.
“There are various things that increase the value in whisky. Limited runs that are in short supply or rare bottlings from established, high-end brands like The Macallan tend to be the biggest drivers of value increase,” Nicolas Villalon, Brand Education and Prestige Manager for The Macallan, told me via email. “In the case of The Macallan 1926 60 Year Old, only 40 bottles were ever produced—12 of were given to British artist Sir Peter Blake, who co-created the Beatles’ album cover for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, to design. Twelve more were given to the Italian artist Valerio Adami, one of the most acclaimed pop artists of the 21st century, to design. In addition, at the time only one bottle per continent was released. Finally, one was commissioned to internationally acclaimed painter Michael Dillon so it could be customized by hand. The rest were either gifted or the location is unknown which makes these bottles extremely rare and valued by collectors across the world.”

Does the artwork outweigh the whisky?
Beyond the whisky, the artwork is a major factor in value as Jamie Ritchie, Worldwide Head of Sotheby’s Wine, pointed out. “The artwork on the labels brings a third element, adding to the uniqueness and rarity… In addition, the aesthetic enjoyment of the labels enhances the appeal. Sir Peter Blake incorporates popular culture into his collages, bringing the events of 1926 into focus, such as Bobby Jones winning the U.S. and British Open in golf, the death of Rudolph Nureyev and the attempted assassination of Mussolini. If you look at the record cover of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, you see the similarities of his creations.”
But, Villalon insists, the Scotch is still the star: “While the artwork certainly drives up the value, the 60-year-old liquid inside is exceptional and rare on its own, which combined with the art makes for a wholesome masterpiece.”

Why are whisky sales records breaking right now?
While rarity is enough to increase the asking price on a bottle, part of what drives the market higher is, simply put, buzz. “The interest from connoisseurs and private collectors has been growing in both the U.S. and Asia for a number of years, as people look for the combination of quality and rarity in what they collect and enjoy drinking,” Ritchie explained. “As prices have risen, with valuable transactions occurring in public auctions, the news coverage has increased both awareness and demand.”
Who is buying this stuff?
Ritchie said the buyer for luxury beverages is pretty much whom you’d expect: diehards and collectors who want the “best of the best.” Another opportunity exists to sell to “family offices who seek alternative investments.” With that third market sounding much less like the aforementioned connoisseurs, I asked if Ritchie thought the market for rare whisky was going mainstream. “There is definitely a broadening of the market from both a geographic and demographic perspective, similar to wine. As wealth is created by a wider group of people who aspire to enjoy the finer things in life, consuming and sharing great wines and spirits provides a memorable experience that is more greatly appreciated by today’s consumers. These unique experiences are what people value more and more today.”

What does a bottle not selling for $1 million mean?
With this most recent auction falling short of its publicized potential sale of $1.2 million, it begs the question of whether the market has spiked. Prior to the auction, Ritchie said a lower sale price would represent a lull, rather than a burst bubble. “Records are there to be broken, it’s just a matter of how long that takes between each record. In the long term, quality and rarity will always be valued, so as additional wealth is created, prices will rise and records will be broken. The Macallan 1926 won the Guinness World Record for the most expensive bottle of spirit in 1987 when it sold for £5,000. Today, adjusted for inflation that would equate to roughly $19,000. The fact that [a] bottle of Macallan 1926 has sold for over $1 million, which equates to a 5,500 percent increase after inflation—it’s a pretty good return.” Same goes for the bottle that just sold for $680K (the hammer price minus the 24 percent house fee), it would seem.

What does this ultra-rare Scotch taste like?
All of this also begs another question: If the quality of this whisky is so high, then it must taste incredible, right? I asked The Macallan’s Villalon to weigh in and there’s no doubt a 60-year-aged Scotch is going to deliver on deep, complex flavors. “A whisky as old as this one, having matured over such a long period of time in oak, will develop a complexity like no other. As the flavor compounds are extracted from the oak they will react with each other in the whisky to create new flavors. The more time they spend together, the more reactions can occur, which adds layers of aromas and increases the richness of the whisky.”
But given that only one bottle of The Macallan 1926 60 Year has been known to have been opened (some are unaccounted for), the prospect of its exceptionalism is still mostly speculation and reliance on the extreme quality control of the distillery’s whisky makers. “The Fine & Rare range, which The Macallan 1926 60 Year Old is part of, represents the very best cask from a specific vintage year identified by our whisky makers. This, in and of itself, can be regarded as a badge of excellence.”

Should you drink your million-dollar whisky?
And all of that begs a final question: If whisky is meant to be enjoyed, should the owners quit sitting on these bottles and just go ahead and enjoy ‘em already? I asked both experts for their professional and personal opinions as to whether a million-dollar bottle should be opened and drunk.
“In my personal opinion, if anyone is comfortable opening a bottle at this price [to] enjoy drinking and sharing it, then they should certainly do so, as they will be drinking a piece of history and be one of very few people alive who have ever tasted it,” Ritchie said. “The interesting thing is that we all have a price point for spirits that we are comfortable drinking every day, and on a special occasion. In my professional capacity, it is more likely to be kept as an investment that should appreciate over time.”
Villalon defers to the collector but admits it’d be a hard opportunity to pass up. “It’s really all up to the collector or whisky aficionado that purchases the bottle. These limited and priceless bottles are truly works of art, but it would definitely be difficult for me to resist a taste!”

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To answer that question, I say yasssssssssssssssssssss!

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Agreed. Otherwise, buy a painting.

[Greg]

And what's this about sharing? I paid a million dollars for a bottle ethanol, I'm drinking all of it.

[Greg]

Why don't they do this Whiskey?

The Absinthe Enthusiasts Hiding Bottles in the Swiss Woods
In the Val-de-Travers valley, people never stopped distilling the spirit.
BY CAMILLE VON KAENEL 
NOVEMBER 08, 2018
[/url]
The Absinthe Enthusiasts Hiding Bottles in the Swiss Woods

[url=https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.atlasobscura.com%2Farticles%2Fwhere-is-absinthe-from]
A bottle of absinthe tucked away in the woods. NICOLAS GIGER
WITHIN THE VAL-DE-TRAVERS, A LUSH valley in western Switzerland next to the French border, lies a forest straight out of the Grimm brothers’ tales. Replete with gnarled pine trees, whimsical rock formations, and cushioned moss, this area is the birthplace of absinthe, the spirit made from regional herbs such as wormwood. Nicknamed “the green fairy,” it was banned for a century because of fears about its potency.
Absinthe reemerged in 2005, yet these woods still hold its secrets. Here bottles of the spirit are hidden away, tucked into the likes of babbling brooks. Thirsty hikers are then invited to take a swig.
At a time when distillers around the world have increasingly started producing the spirit, these hiding places, called fontaines froides (or cold fountains) recall the cloak of mystery that once surrounded absinthe. The tradition was borne from the valley’s water and its flora, as well as its residents’ love of walking and ingenuity. The absinthe enthusiasts that continue to maintain these secret stashes are carrying over their dedication to the spirit into a brand new era. With it, they hope to strike a balance between local lore and a modern revival story.

“Sometimes we’re the ones to replace an empty bottle, sometimes it’s the green fairy herself,” says Yann Klauser with a laugh. Klauser is the director of the Maison de l’Absinthe, a museum that opened its doors in 2014 in Môtiers. “It’s one of the last remnants from the time when absinthe was clandestine, because it’s still sort of illegal to do this, but it’s just something we keep up for ourselves,” he says.

[Drunk Monk]

Wait...we don't have an absinthe thread here?  Oh right, because that almost killed several of us.

Clearly I went to the wrong part of Switzerland.  All I saw were pot shops and hookers.  And you had to pay dearly for any of those.

[Drunk Monk]

THIS LONDON HOTEL HAS A WHISKY VENDING MACHINE AND EXACTLY ONE GUEST ROOM
1 Minute Read
Produced by Tim McKirdy / @timmckirdy
Updated on 2018-12-03


Photo Credit: Whisky-Me
Minibars and vending machines aren’t usually synonymous with quality drinking experiences. At London’s Napoleon Hotel, however, there’s a new and novel way to enjoy a late night dram of high-quality Scotch.
The hotel, which is home to three bars and just one, luxury suite, recently installed the city’s very first whisky vending machine, Travel and Leisure reports.
London-based subscription service Whisky-Me owns and stocks the machine with a selection of 1.7-ounce pouches of Scotch. Labels include Macallan, Aberfeldy, and Royal Lochnager, as well as a commemorative release celebrating the start-up’s first year in business.
The vending machine is located in front of the hotel’s entrance and can be accessed by the general public as well as hotel guests. To make sure buyers are of legal drinking age, special tokens for the machine must be purchased from the hotel’s Devil’s Darlings bar. Tokens retail for £7.95 (roughly USD $10), and are on sale between 10 a.m. and 2 a.m.
Other attractions to entice whisky-lovers include the hotel’s Black Rock Bar, which features an 18-foot-long table filled with aging whisky to sample. The bar also stocks an impressive selection of whiskey from Japan, Ireland, Finland, and France, making for a dram good drinking experience.

Published: December 3, 2018

Hold the phone.  Whisky pouches?