Review #130 - Paul John Edited
Several months ago we looked at another Paul John entry - the Brilliance single malt, which was fine, but we weren't overly impressed. Now, we have the Edited single malt, a lighted peated Indian whisky from Goa. It's aged in an undisclosed variety of casks, and comes in at a pleasant 46% ABV.
One interesting point from the brand is on its website - they actually give a recommended food pairing for this whisky. Due to its flavors of 'peat and chocolate mint,' they recommend sipping this alongside a mildly spiced lamb stew or dark chocolate.
Paul John Edited
India - Single Malt
Current Locally Available Price: USD 46 (2023)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 46% ABV
Details: Not chill filtered
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times over 6 months; bottles at 80% and 30% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Interesting - herbal, earthy, and vegetal. There's some cut grass and almost a dirt note to start, a decent amount of minerality, and then we move into spices: pepper and nutmeg come to mind. It's a bit green and mossy, more vegetal with time to open up, and not too sweet - slightly dry wood and herbs. Later, some petrichor and sweet perfume come to the front, along with a hint of... ammonia?
Palate: Medium mouthfeel, nice oily oak and mellow warmth. Lots of baking notes now in the palate: clove and mild nutmeg, some banana and butter, a hint of sherry wine, some white pepper and paprika. A pleasant shift from spicy to sweet, with barbecue on the back end, and a medium peat smoke influence. Not nearly as vegetal and herbal as the nose, very different.
Finish: Medium length, maybe medium-long with that peat smoke still sticking around. Red fruits and a black pepper kick near the beginning, but sweet green apple peels and overripe banana on the back end. Lingering notes of buttercream and clove, with an aftertaste of spice.
Final Note: This one is quite interesting - the nose may put some people off with its unusual character, but there's a lot to explore. The palate becomes a bit more mainstream, but still delivers decent complexity, changing a bit from tasting to tasting. Hard to say what the undisclosed casks are - we get hints of sherry or red wine in there, but there's plenty of baking spices, suggesting some ex-bourbon or refill barrels as well. At least worth a try if you see it at a bar, and if you enjoy your tasting, a bottle isn't too pricy, either.
Our Average Rating: 6.9 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 7.32
