Amrut Fusion is ScotchBlog's first foray into Indian whiskies. Like the Japanese, India is also producing whisky in the Scotch style. Amarut Fusion is made from a mixture of Indian, as well as Scottish peated barleys. They are shipped to Bangalore where they are distilled, and aged in a mixture of fresh and used American Oak casks. Amazingly, a little known fact is that whisky matured in India ages more than 6 times faster than in Scotland. This is believed to be due to the extreme heat and humidity the casks are exposed to. As a result, this whisky is bottled at less than 4 years old.Colour: Pale Gold
Nose: Sour Patch Kids and Swedish Berries with a background of pool chlorine. Smells somewhat resinous with a sulfur-like smell reminiscent of spent fireworks. A faint scent of old banana also happens to just barely register, along with dried prunes.
Palate: Upon first experiencing this whisky, it will undoubtedly take you a long time to even partially grasp the different flavours being experienced. True to it's name, Amarut Fusion brings together a flavour profile that on paper, you'd swear wouldn't work and is just as hard to precisely identify. The flavours work the palate from middle back, with nothing on the tip of the tongue. Salted caramel with a light iodine smoke (no doubt from the Scottish peated barley) becomes somewhat hot, fruity (raisins) and increasingly sulfuric as it works its way to the back of the tongue.
Nose: Sour Patch Kids and Swedish Berries with a background of pool chlorine. Smells somewhat resinous with a sulfur-like smell reminiscent of spent fireworks. A faint scent of old banana also happens to just barely register, along with dried prunes.
Palate: Upon first experiencing this whisky, it will undoubtedly take you a long time to even partially grasp the different flavours being experienced. True to it's name, Amarut Fusion brings together a flavour profile that on paper, you'd swear wouldn't work and is just as hard to precisely identify. The flavours work the palate from middle back, with nothing on the tip of the tongue. Salted caramel with a light iodine smoke (no doubt from the Scottish peated barley) becomes somewhat hot, fruity (raisins) and increasingly sulfuric as it works its way to the back of the tongue.
Adding a dash of water brings out the woody and musty profiles of this
whisky. The palate is even more muddled than before however, but the
sweetness shines through along with touches of allspice, nutmeg and
cinnamon.
Finish: Lingering smoke and must as the heat of the whisky rises slightly at the end, then fades away.
Overall: Like an Indian summer, the effervescent heat all surrounding this whisky doesn't actually detract from it's overall profile, but compliments it. The sweetness is married along with the wood, and the "humid" profile that results is quite striking.
Note:
Here at ScotchBlog, in the original posting of this article we raised some doubts as to whether this truly would qualify as a "single malt" whisky under the Scotch Whisky Association's regulations, based on the fact that it contains two separately distilled barley malts. Our eagle-eyed reader, Dave Baxter, was quick to point out that the official definition of a single malt whisky (technically of a single malt scotch whisky) by the SWA is one which is "produced only from water and malted barley at a single distillery by batch distillation in pot stills". As such, this would quality to use the "single malt" definition. Overall however, it is in fact somewhat of a baseless discussion since regardless of its production methods, because of its country of origin, is is not considered a "scotch" whisky, and SWA regulations need not apply.
Finish: Lingering smoke and must as the heat of the whisky rises slightly at the end, then fades away.
Overall: Like an Indian summer, the effervescent heat all surrounding this whisky doesn't actually detract from it's overall profile, but compliments it. The sweetness is married along with the wood, and the "humid" profile that results is quite striking.
Note:
Here at ScotchBlog, in the original posting of this article we raised some doubts as to whether this truly would qualify as a "single malt" whisky under the Scotch Whisky Association's regulations, based on the fact that it contains two separately distilled barley malts. Our eagle-eyed reader, Dave Baxter, was quick to point out that the official definition of a single malt whisky (technically of a single malt scotch whisky) by the SWA is one which is "produced only from water and malted barley at a single distillery by batch distillation in pot stills". As such, this would quality to use the "single malt" definition. Overall however, it is in fact somewhat of a baseless discussion since regardless of its production methods, because of its country of origin, is is not considered a "scotch" whisky, and SWA regulations need not apply.
)
An affordable novelty whiskey but I don't think I'd stock it at home...
From what I recall, I found the flavours interesting albeit muddled and partially obscured by the heat. Based on the overall enjoyable experience I had I wouldn't mind trying one of their other offerings though.
I do, however, find the claim of "Single Malt" to be disingenuous.
I'm not sure why there is any doubt about Amrut Fusion being anything other than a single malt? The SWA definition of a single malt Scotch whisky is: "Single Malt Scotch Whisky means a Scotch Whisky produced from only water and malted barley at a single distillery by batch distillation in pot stills"
The fact that this expression of Amrut uses both Indian & Scottish barley is completely irrelevant as being a single malt. Based on the SWA own regulations, this IS a single malt whisky.
There is nothing disingenuous about the Single Malt label on the Fusion. It is 100% malt whisky distilled at a single distillery—Amrut—and blended together in much the same way that any single malt (other than a single cask release) is blended. That some of the barley comes from Scotland and some from India has no bearing on its status as a single malt in Scotland or elsewhere.
Well I guess I got it twisted. Thanks for setting me straight!
I humbly recant my previous statement about veracity of the Amrut Single Malt.
All you guys, enjoy the dram now will ya? Sláinte