Water of Life - Amrut
I vividly recall the whisk(e)y tasting where I was first introduced to the “nectar of the good”, which is what the Sanskrit “Amrut” translates to.
The Amrut Distillery evolved from having a small focus on brandy and rum to a veritable heavyweight in the international whiskey landscape and their Single Malt based on Indian barley grown in the UK that was proffered to me, left a lasting impression: While it did not state on the bottle the amount of years the whiskey was aged, stating that would presented itself was “flavourful” would be an understatement par excellence.
The aroma of this golden drop was based on toffee notes, vanilla and caramel, causewaying into citrussy and lemony realms and from the get go the character shone through, which is rarely found with comparatively young whiskeys like Amrut’s Single Malt – it certainly does not have to hide behind well-established twelve-year-old.
What materialized on the palate only intensified the “ah ha” moment as what how the complex manner in which the creamy sweetness unfolded itself starting with oaky chocolate notes and then building up to a crescendo dominated by cinnamon and peppers is quite something.
With 46% ABV an excellent and satisfying drop that made me curious about Amrut’s other expressions and, oh boy, was I in for a treat once I got on the Amrut train.
The journey continued with Amrut Fusion.
Now, the Fusion expression takes things to the next level: Within big bold fruity, citrus, cinnamon, oaky and spicy aromas just the right amount of peat finds itself at the core, an impression that is confirmed on the palate as it is enveloped in dark yet fruity chocolate flavours and a finish that is dominated yet not overpowered by sweet notes.
A superbly harmonious, seductive, multi-faceted and complex drop that especially with the infant ghosting of smoke and peat plays in a league of its own, which is not further wondrous as the fusion aspect is informed by the usage of mixing Indian malted barley with peated Scottish one.
Okay, by now we have established that you could do much worse than try any expression of Amrut, however, we have not peaked yet.
Ready?
Amrut Peated.
Good god. Readers of our “Water of Life” series would be familiar with the fact that I harbour a weak spot for anything smoky and peaty, yet this rich and intense drop made me realise that I have missed out so far:
The aromas that hit the nose are already a thing of beauty…think peat, oh sweet peat, hints of caramel, peat, subtle smoke and, quell surprise, a bit of bacon. Yumster!
Now, where a lot of peated whiskies would now take a sharp left to ashtray central, which I am usually very much in favour of when it comes to smokiness, Amrut’s Peated expression surprises with a delicate fruitiness as it hits the palate. Delicate in that there are layers which inform each other and seamlessly transition into the pleasant finish, which marries the fruity character with the peat from the beginning.
WoW.
In layman’s terms, I’d describe the Peated Amrut as a more elegant Bowmore 12 on steroids.
What a masterstroke in Amrut’s line-up of exquisite quality expressions - I feel deprived not having had this as a staple on my shelf.
A visit to the Amrut Distillery has become a must-do for my upcoming trip to the subcontinent.
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photo provided
