Amrut

Most Indian 'whisky' is low-cost, molasses-based IMFL; Amrut put India on the world whisky map with a true barley single malt. Its Fusion scored 97 points in Jim Murray's 2010 Whisky Bible, named the third finest whisky in the world, which made its name overnight. The core range is fairly priced, but long-aged limited bottlings like Greedy Angels command high sums, since long maturation is itself rare in such a hot climate.

Rating — Jim Murray's Whisky Bible (2010) · Prices are approximate retail / duty-free · Not a personal tasting score

Amrut is made in Bengaluru, southern India, about 900m above sea level. In the hot, dry climate the spirit reacts with the cask fast, drawing out in four or five years what would take Scotland more than ten. The trade-off is an annual evaporation loss above 10%, a small yield accepted in exchange for concentrated aroma. It is distilled from barley grown in northern India, and Fusion adds Scottish peated malt to set the sweetness of Indian barley against light peat smoke.

The roots are a brewing and distilling company the Jagdale family founded in Bengaluru in 1948. After decades making spirits for the domestic market, it launched India's first single malt under the name 'Amrut' in Glasgow in 2004. 'Amrut' means amrita, the nectar of immortality the gods drink in Hindu mythology. It took an unusual path — born in India, yet first embraced by enthusiasts in Europe.

In Western markets Amrut won enthusiasts over with the surprise of Indian provenance and its bold malt and spice. It suits those who prefer something weighty and spicy over showy sherry, and Fusion is often recommended as an entry into peat. That the world's largest whisky market was a latecomer to single malt is half of this bottle's story.