Indian Whisky

India is a voracious whisky drinking nation and is the world’s most lucrative whisky market – worth almost £20billion with more than 4bn litres sold every year.

Indian whisky dates back to the 19th century and British colonial rule when grain spirits were created to slake the thirst of the British military.

No surprise, then, that it was entrepreneur Richard Dyer who established India’s first whisky distillery in the late 1820 – making lighter, more floral whiskies usining indigenous ingredients and distillation methods.

It wasn’t until the 1940s that whisky distilling in India really began on a commercial scale – with the establishment of large distilleries including Rampur and Amrut. Initially, their whiskies were a blend of molasses and grain spirits, enhanced iwth spices and tailored to local tastes.

Unable to be considered true whiskies overseas, and with single malts becoming more popular, the 90s saw distilleries create their first genuine single malts – and 30 years later India is beginning to compete properly in the world of premium blends and malts.

For years, whisky drinkers simply relied on imports but a growing number of discerning drinkers are turning to domestic drams that, unlike the mass produced whiskies made with molasses that were once passed off as ‘whisky’, are rivalling international blends and malts.

The perception that imported whiskies are superior to homegrown talents is not recognised by a new generation of aficionados.

Providing flavour characteristics not associated with whiskies from more traditional whisky-making nations, India is becoming rightly renowned for its unique expressions – fruity, spicy, deep and rich.

India’s hot and humid weather plays a critical role, ageing whisky faster than Scotland’s cooler climate – the rapid ageing creates unique taste profiles and different texture to Indian single malts.

Back at home, the far more reasonable price points, the disruption of imports during the COVID pandemic and the rise in whisky blogs written in Hindi and other dialects has further precipitated the rise in Indian Single Malt whisky.

These are very exciting times for Indian whisky drinkers.