Review #309 - Indri Trini
Piccadily distillery is located near the city of Indri, in India's state of Haryana. It's quite a large operation, in fact: roughly four million liters of spirit are produced each year. They use Indian-grown six row barley, which is floor malted and then mashed and fermented. Double distillation yields a spirit heart cut with a strength around 68% ABV, and it's then cut down to 63% ABV for barreling - generally, the casks have all previously held another type of spirit.
Meaning 'three wood,' this Trini bottling is a combination of spirit that was aged in three types of casks: ex-bourbon barrels, ex-French wine casks, and ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. We don't get an age statement on the bottle, but considering India's hot climate, the aging will have a more dramatic effect in a short amount of time.
The distillery gives us craft presentation, which is an added bonus: no chill filtration, no added caramel coloring, and a strength of 46% ABV (92 proof).
Indri Trini
India - Single Malt
Price Paid: USD 48 (2024)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 60 (2024)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 46% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon, ex-French wine, and ex-PX sherry casks
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; batch 02, bottled March 2022
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 3 months; bottles at 100%, 70%, and 60% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Somewhat richly scented, with wood spice and tangy fruits up front. Strong nectarine and blood orange, but also some clove, pepper, and a nutty side: almonds, or candied pecans. The stone fruits grow more juicy, and past some oakiness, it starts to lean even more sweet and fruity.
Palate: A medium mouthfeel, and there is an explosion of fruit flavors. Juicy, sweet, sour, and tangy - oranges, blood orange, peaches, nectarines, and mango. Exotic and interesting, and softer baking notes then arrive: brown sugar, mostly. Oak is soft at first, but grows stronger, along with a hint of polish.
Finish: Medium length or so, and the juicy, tangy fruits stick around - nectarine and mango, especially, and there are some red berry notes, too: strawberry or raspberry, a bit of tart cherry juice. Clove adds a spice element, and the texture is soft and oily.
Final Note: Wow, quite uncommon to find a whisky with such rich and sweet stone fruits like this - they're the star of the show. You do get some nice baking spice and oak notes as well due to the rapid maturation in the hotter climate; overall, it's nicely balanced with sweet and spicy flavors. Very good whisky, worth a try.
We were able to score our bottle on offer, but the standard price is quite good, too. This is a great value bottle, offering very interesting and slightly exotic flavors for the price point.
Our Average Rating: 7.6 / 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: 7.97
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other Indian whisky reviews:
Review #275 - Amrut Two Continents
Review #196 - Blackadder Amrut Raw Cask
