Amrut Fusion
A Step In The Right Direction
0 882
Review by @dbk
- Nose~
- Taste~
- Finish~
- Balance~
- Overall82
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Amrut Fusion is a single malt whisky derived from both Scottish and Indian barley crops. At the distillery, the Scottish barley malt is peated, distilled, and matured separately from the unpeated Indian malt, and the two are then blended together for a second maturation in ex-bourbon casks. This expression has helped put India on the map as a nation that does not just consume good whisky, but produces it, too.
The nose is definitively malty, with characteristic touches of milk chocolate, vanilla, and biscuits. There are also notes of menthol, cherries, limes, and vinegar, as the peat gently wafts through.
The palate begins with light smoke, honey, and malt. It is phenolic, with hints of tar. Eventually, however, it becomes slightly astringent and hot, masking these flavours. Pineapple arrives on the finish.
This is a unique, and certainly good, whisky. Nonetheless, I keep a dissenting opinion against the throngs of near-perfect praise for it. The mid-palate burst of heat quickly erases all memory of the flavours that preceded it, and that is a shame, because I enjoyed them throughly. In the end, it is a fine whisky that has the potential to be a great one.
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Great review @dbk! Based on the admittedly limited experience of just the one sample (I do want to get a bottle) that you kindly provided at our tasting, I would lean more towards your end of the rating scale (as opposed to Jim Murray's 'near perfect' appraisal a couple of years ago).
I compare this to the Strathisla 12 that I reviewed recently, in that there is a lot of potential for greatness...but it falls short of coming together fluidly. Whereas Strathisla fails to pull its positive aspects together, Amrut (I felt) pulled them together too harshly, creating more a collision, instead of a fusion, of otherwise wonderful notes.
I would at this point rate Amrut higher than Strathisla on the basis of having the more vibrant, lively, set of aromas and flavours than the Strathisla. Both solid drams, but the Fusion is more likely to make a regular appearance in my cabinet.