Review #258 - Amrut Spectrum
From Indian distillery Amrut, located in Bengaluru, we have the second edition of the Spectrum bottling. This distillery was established back in 1948, making it one of the oldest distilleries in India; on top of their vast array of single malt releases, they also craft spirits using rye grain, and they produce rums, too.
The special casks used in this bottling are the focal point: instead of using traditional used casks, or using a typical maturation and finishing period, the distillery breaks down the casks they buy into individual staves, before reassembling them into new, custom casks. They use four types of staves for this process: American oak (#3 char), toasted French oak, Oloroso sherry seasoned, and Pedro Ximenez sherry seasoned.
After first spending time maturing in ex-bourbon casks, the spirit moves into these exotic finishing casks, where it is exposed to a number of different types of oak and previous cask contents; we're hoping this will lead to a wide variety of flavors in the spirit. It's bottled at a strength of 50% ABV, so those flavors should have a chance to show through nicely.
Amrut Spectrum
India - Single Malt
Current Locally Available Price: USD 184 (2024)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 50% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon, American oak, toasted French oak, ex-Oloroso sherry, and ex-PX casks
Details: Second release (004), bottled October 2021; 1,800 bottles
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 4 months; bottles at 50%, 90%, and 50% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Very rich; lots of sherry influence, with fig, prune, cranberry, cherries, and strawberries; darker flavors of leather, sassafras, and fermented tobacco leaf show some maturity. Soft orange citrus and caramel add a sweet side; mocha and some spirit add more balance. Dark complexion, leaning dry, lovely.
Palate: A medium-thick mouthfeel - wow. Tons of fruit: orange, strong cranberry, strawberry, cherry, plum, and prune. Bitter cocoa, dark chocolate, toasted malt, and candied nuts; a whiff of wood smoke, along with earthy spirit. Very rich and juicy.
Finish: Juicy red fruit like cranberry, lots of sherry, decently oaky with mild tannins. There's a little bit of minerality in the spirit, along with orange rind, leather, and figs; dirty sherry and root beer linger in the aftertaste.
Final Note: Fantastic whisky, packed with flavor - at cask strength, this would be a monster. So much rich, dark sherry influence, and the minerality and earthy character in the spirit added great depth. Lots of nice mature notes... this is an excellent whisky. It does come at a cost, especially considering the limited production, but those custom-built casks did wonders to this spirit.
Our Average Rating: 8.7 / 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: 6.10
Check out our other Indian whisky reviews:
Review #196 - Blackadder Amrut Raw Cask
