A smoky smooth single malt from India was recently crowned Best in Show, Double Gold at the Whiskies of the World Awards — ahead of several Scotches, Bourbons, and other top malts. The peated number from Piccadilly Distilleries is aged in wine casks for a long time — each sip singing with notes of chocolate, fruit, and nuts. Here’s what makes Indri Diwali Collector’s Edition 2023 a highly-coveted whisky.
A panel of the whisky world’s biggest names — influencers to industry makers — recently sat down to blind taste over 100 of the world’s finest expressions. This is for the prestigious Whiskies of the World Awards which recognises top tipples every year. A name that stood out amongst the sea of American bourbons and Scottish single malts? Indri Diwali Collector’s Edition 2023, an Indian whisky from Piccadilly Distilleries. The brand — whose production process spells quality, cask to bottle — stands testimony to the country’s ever-growing appetite for smoke and oak. Not to mention, it’s one of the most celebrated homegrown names in connoisseur circles. Here’s a look at what the company’s highly-anticipated amber — set to launch during the festive season — has to offer.
Indri Diwali Collector’s Edition 2023 whisky is sweet and smoky
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Crafted carefully in the Himalayan foothills, this single malt features six-row barley that’s handpicked in Rajasthan, where it has grown for centuries. It also uses water from the fresh glacier water of the Yamuna River. This is then distilled in traditional Indian copper-pot stills and aged in Pedro Ximenez (PX) Sherry Casks for a long time. The latter imparts a dark amber hue to the dram, giving it sweet, currant-like notes.
The subtropical climate of the region, meanwhile, allows the malt to fuse with the wood barrels in a way that’s quite unique. The payoff? A peated whisky that’s as smoky as they come. Every sip is reminiscent of toasted nuts, candied dry fruits, spices, oak, and bittersweet chocolate. Symbolising refinement and exclusivity, this bottle has quickly earned a stellar reputation in whisky circles.
Reflecting on the recent award, Siddhartha Sharma, Founder, of Piccadilly Distilleries said, “The perception of India is changing globally. India and Indians are breaking boundaries on all fronts be it technology, business, sport or crafted high-quality premium products.” He further added, “ Indri’s big win at Whiskies of the World awards- being rated as the Best whisky in the world, further strengthens our vision of putting homegrown quality liquids on the world map.”
Piccadilly Distillery is home to award-winning expressions
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This isn’t the first whisky from Piccadilly to win big. Indri — its signature expression — bagged a Silver in the International Wine and Spirits Competition (2022), was crowned Asian Whisky Of The Year at the Dom Roskrow’s New Wizards Awards (2022) and was titled the Best Indian Single Malt at the World Whiskey Awards (2022), amongst others. All this, within a few months of its launch in late 2021. The whisky pours sunset and comes with notes of sweet cherry, oak, vanilla, honey, nuts, and caramelised pineapple.
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The distillery was set up in 1995 on the Grand Trunk Road. This historic stretch of land was once called the ‘Northern Road’ and has been around since the 3rd Century BCE, connecting major regions in Central Asia to India’s trade centres. Every bottle produced at the distillery — the official website claims — derives its complexity and richness from the “influences of culture, terroir and nature,” of this space.
Besides Indri and Indri Diwali Collector’s Edition 2023, the distillery is home to Whistler — a blended malt whisky. A delicious amalgamation of matured malt and matured grain spirits, this amber is aged in American oak barrels. Every sip is reminiscent of toffee, ripened grapes, butterscotch, vanilla, light peat, pineapple, raisins, and oak.
Indri Diwali Collector’s Edition 2023 will be accessible to whisky aficionados in Haryana by the end of October.
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This story first appeared here.
(All images: Courtesy Indri Whisky)
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– Who owns Indri Whisky?
Siddharth Sharma, the founder of Piccadilly Distilleries owns Indri Whisky.
– Is Indri single malt?
Indri is an Indian single malt produced in Haryana by Piccadilly Distilleries.
– What is the price of Indri whiskey in India?
A bottle of Indri is priced at INR 5,000 approx.
