Amrut Fusion

Hmm not at all what I was expecting because I've seen nothing but rave reviews for the Amrut Fusion. Any idea how long the bottle might've been open for behind the bar? Wondering if that might be a factor at all or whether it's simply down to personal preference on this one.

P.S. Does that mean you were waiting for your brother + sister in law when in they thought they were waiting for you the whole time? Haha!

I've had three samples of Amrut Fusion from three different bottles in three different places, and they might as well have been three different whiskies. The first was @dbk's bottle which had a most bizarre incendiary finish, like a brush-fire. I don't think @dbk has forgiven either Amrut or that bottle to this day. I would not want a bottle of that one either. The second was at a restaurant, and that sample was one of the most amazing whiskies I have ever experienced: wave after wave of most amazing and unusual flavours. I would love to have a bottle from that batch. The third, at a different restaurant, was like a very distant echo of the second one, except limp and lifeless, by comparison. That one certainly did not excite, nor stimulate further interest. The bottom line: I found the second bottle of it to be extraordinary, but I do not feel like I know what I am going to get if I were to buy a bottle of Amrut Fusion. I would have rated bottle # 1 @65, # 2 @ 96, and # 3 @ 73.

@Victor Wow okay that's interesting. I hope my bottle is from a good batch. As always I'll do a "time course" tasting for my bottle as this might also be one of those volatile whiskies that changes drastically once opened.

@systemdown, the time course study sounds like a very good idea with Amrut Fusion. I hope that you will post your observations.

@System Yah I was very surprised. This had been one of the bottles that I'd been looking forward to all night and I was extremely let down. It isn't an awful whisky, but to be honest I think out of the tastings that night I think that was one of the least impressive whiskies. I'd be willing to try it again and see if I get a similar experience.

At $100 bucks a bottle, off of this one tasting, I'd be more inclined to buy 1 bottle of the Shackleton replica instead of 2 bottles of Amrut Fusion.

I think the bottle was fairly well fresh. I mean I didn't get to see it, but considering how busy the bar was and that it specializes in whisky and that the staff actually had some really good information regarding whisky I would think that on the slower bottles they might take some precautions from bad oxidation.

@Victor Thanks for that information!! It'll make me VERY cautious of any future Amrut Fusions.

@System Sorry I didn't see the question. Yes they had been waiting there almost the entire time for us. I was getting ready to SMS them and my wife said they'd SMS when they arrived hahaha. Quite entertaining.

@Victor that's very interesting. Isn't there any system to identify the exact batch so we could try your superb Fusion #2?

@Wills, to the best of my knowledge, there is no batch identifying information on the bottle. I invite anyone to correct me if I am in error about that.

@Victor You are right, I have a bottle of batch 13 bottled in july 2011. It is fruity and spicy, with good peat and faint smoke. Got notes of papaya and starfruit on this one and the flavors are quite vivid. I like the fact that they state the batch number and date of bottling. I know some producers staple a code on the bottle, but it's not as explicit. I'd give my batch a good 87, it as a exotic feel to it and the 50% abv give it a nice kick. At 60 CAD this bottle flew of the shelfs in about one weekend.

@CognacFan Victor said, there is NO batch identifying. Your bottle shows some sort of information on a label or number? I never bought Amrut, so you guys have to tell me plz :)

@Wills, I don't own a bottle of it, so am going strictly from memory. I am not sure about the labeling.

Ah well, just was getting curious by the "You are right" of @CognacFan

So unfortunately you were tasting that #2 in a restaurant. Ofc it would be interesting to know the batch from your #1 too, but I guess you don't have this bottle anymore. Seems like the discussion about the A'bunadh batches.

@Wills, @dbk might well still have the bottle #1.

@Wills My bad, I misread Victor's comment. There is a batch number on the bottle.

FYI my bottle is batch no. 15, Oct 2011. That's nuts that you guys are talking about low numbers like #1 and #2! There's 3 months between @CognacFan 's batch #13 and my #15 so I'd say it looks like they're putting out one batch per month, at least from 2011 onwards?

@SquidgyAsh Entertaining indeed! At least you all had a few drinks already instead of waiting for one another. Good to know that it was probably a fresh bottle too. Gotta be careful in some places if the level is low in an obscure bottle, who knows how many years it might've been open!

@systemdown we were not talking about batch numers 1-3, that were Victors tastings number 1-3. How did you like your batch no.15?

@Wills Oh, haha thanks for the clarification! Don't mind me. Moving right along.. I have not yet opened my bottle. I will very soon however (and of course a thorough review will be forthcoming), it's part of an upcoming tasting flight I'm doing.

Hi everyone, sorry to come so late to the party! @Wills alerted me to this discussion. Sadly, the rumours of my experience with the Amrut Fusion are true. First off, here's my review of the infamous bottle @Victor and I shared: connosr.com/reviews/amrut/…

As you can see, my main issue with it was the surge of heat—what @Victor so brilliantly calls 'a most bizarre incendiary finish'—that erases any memory of the flavours preceding it. Unfortunately, this problem arose in TWO separate bottles: one sample bottle I bought in Alberta, and one full bottle I bought a year or so later in Ontario. I do not have the batch numbers for either bottling, and while it's possible they're from the same batch, I think it's unlikely.

There was absolutely no effect of aeration on the palate. As @systemdown suggested, I generally sample and resample my bottles many times before writing and posting the final review, taking notes along the way. I saw absolutely no improvement on the heat front.

This kind of batch variability is really unacceptable. Yet, being somewhat ambitious and a little strange, I nevertheless acquired three other Amruts in the interim: the standard peated, the peated cask strength, and the Intermediate Sherry. I can only hope that these three help me change my mind about Amrut. Otherwise, I will, as @Victor said, NEVER FORGIVE AMRUT FOR THIS. (Sorry, I get shouty sometimes.) :)

HAHAHAHA. I'm so sorry to hear that DBK. I was VERY surprised as to what my experience for my wife and myself was with the Amrut Fusion was. My wife does have a bit of a weird palate at times so when she said that she didn't like it I kinda said oh well.

But then I tasted it myself and again for me the pepper and other spices killed everything and not in a good way.

Again I'd buy a bottle like this, but I think I'd pay around $40 bucks for it. Not the $100 or so it's running over here. I'd rather buy a much more expensive bottle rather then get several bottles of this.

I sadly have no idea what batch number this one was, and I'd be willing to try this another time or two, but yeah I was sorely disappointed.

Tasted it again yesterday, and I is true to say that their is this brush-fire effect on mid-palate that numbs your mouth. I was wondering what was keeping me from giving it a higher mark, guess I know now, thanks to you guys.

I'm sorry to hear that my friend. Like I said I was rather disappointed with what we got. I'd really hoped for more.