Amrut Peated Cask Strength

I went out and got this whisky after @Nozinan wouldn't stop talking about it. He was right. Batch 12 was awesome. Oddly, I was surprised that it wasn't more peaty - but I'm an Islay lover, so my benchmark is on the high end. All the barley in the whisky is from Scotland, peated to 23 ppm.

The nose is woody, floral (in a dried flower sort of way), vegetal, and peaty with dried fruit and caramel- quite an interesting one here weaving together some very interesting flavor camps. Strong peppermint (like candycanes) too, alongside the rich oakiness. The mintiness, is, in fact, almost like the menthol-like nature of freshly milled green cardamom when amidst the various spices here. But of course we have so much more: dried apricot, dried pear, dried hibiscus, apple seeds, apple sauce, and almost a general mixed bag of spices that all meld together – cloves, cinnamon, saffron (particularly), black peppercorns…This isn't aged long but feels as though it is full of fabulous age - that Indian climate certainly does its work! Not overly peaty, though the earthiness and light smoke are certainly around, especially towards the end of the palate. Complex, interesting, and very nice. With water, it grows a bit, and apple emerges more fully....but I like this one at full strength more. A winner.

I've kept coming back to this, and served it blind at a number of tastings - and it's always impressed. I even served it blind to a whisky writer who's had over 10,000 whiskies and he swore when he found out it wasn't Scottish. Haha! He loved it, too.

By the way, thanks @Nozinan.

Score: 94/100

Now and then one might get the feeling that one is launched into another realm of consciousness. Most of the time it is an illusion. This time I know it is an illusion too, but I do not care at all. Yes I am thunderstruck. I jumped out of my skin. It may not be the best whisky in the whole wide world. No, it is not even the best whisky of the subcontinent of India. So I am told. This is a tidal wave. Although I admit it does not urge Noah to build an ark. It really punches right between the eyes.

Amrut Peated Cask Strength is the whisky of this review. It is well known. I cannot help it writing about it, because it is truly amazing.

Its nose is impressive . It is full of smoke, it is very sweet. It is salty. It reminds me of exotic fruit, cinnamon and white pepper.

Its palate is aggressive and rough. It is spicy. Cinnamon. Nutmeg. Curry. White Pepper. It is fruity. Bananas. Cherries.Mango. Oranges. Very smoky .Lots of liquorice. A little too sweet.

The finish is full of white pepper, exotic fruit , lots and lots of liquorice ,very sweet and smoky

Its balance is terrific

Holy Cow, someone once said this Amrut is like Agni, the Hindu God of fire, in a bottle. I agree. Yeah, I agree. If you like Lagavulin 16 , you will love this tidal wave from India.

I had tried this one some five years ago, but it gives me great pleasure to revisit it. It was bottled in 2009 and was a one off release of 3000 bottles. It was distilled from locally grown barley from Rajasthan. The first whiff catapults me towards Islay. This reminds me a bit of Laphroaig or Lagavulin (well, the peat is imported from Scotland), but with a twist. Think leather, curry, humus, freshly sawed wood and a touch of rubber. But it also has a sweet side with candied orange peel. Yes, I really like this. It is better than I remembered. The attack is quite sturdy. No surprise there. Immediately fruity and smoky (camp fire!) at the same time. Curry, nutmeg, ginger and a whole range of peppers precede leather and a mildly bitter orange marmalade. Toffee and caramel play an important part too. The finish is very long and keeps your mouth warm for many minutes. I should have bought an extra bottle when I had the chance. With winter upon us, this would certainly keep me warm.

The Amrut peated CS is a real powerhouse. Big ABV, Big flavor and Big personality. I can definitely see why so many enthusiasts are falling in love with Amruts whisky.

Nose

Initially the nose is a little spirity, not shocking given the very high ABV. In a matter of minutes though it settles down and becomes almost a bit shy.

Firstly I get some crisp sweet vanilla and fruit. It is not that heavily peated but the smoke is noticeable and it is both aromatic and peaty. The development of the nose is ongoing and adds cedar wood, peat, custard, parma ham and some savory spice - perhaps cumin.

Adding water revs the nose up again and it is back with a vengeance. Peat up front! White pepper corns, over-ripe mango, smoked pineapple, spicy cardamon and banana. A hint of kippers and a saline quality like seaweed chips. A faint and pleasant whiff of chlorine.

Palate The palate offers peat, salt and a subdued smoke. spicy charcuterie meats and sweet baking spices. When I first had this at a recent tasting I was completely blown away by its massive power. You take a sip and a second later it literally explodes in your mouth, not for the faint of heart or those looking for something light and easy.

Finish

The finish is lingering with peat smoke and salty dry white pepper. At first it is faintly bitter but as it dies it goes out with sweet and salty fruits. And it certainly takes its time to do so.

I thank both @Nozinan and @Robert99 for samples of this wonderful whisky

Nose: Wow. intense, beautiful clear pointed malt. Peat and smoke grow and gather...then comes sweet with a minor suit of bitter. As the palate develops, the sweetness is in excellent three-way balance with a little sour and significant bitterness. Fabulous. Water added brings out intense sweetness while retaining enormous intensity. Score: 24.5/25

Taste: big very vivid sharp-edged peat takes the lead. Beautiful barley follows. Bitterness is much more dominant in the mouth than in the nose. This is very big whisky. Water added sweetens the package greatly, and is an interesting variation. Score: 23/25

Finish: finishes with deep caramel balance to the intensely bitter peat. Still very nice. Stays nice, and very big, with water added. Score: 22/25

Balance: outstanding in the nose; very good in the mouth. A class act. Score: 23.5/25

Total Sequential Score: 93 points

Strength: very strong flavours throughout. Score: 24.5/25

Quality: excellent quality in all components, grain, peat, wood. Score: 23.5/25

Variety: very good variety throughout. Score: 22/25

Harmony: you'd have to hate peat and smoke not to like this. Score: 23/25

Total Non-Sequential Score: 93 points

Comment: it has been awhile since I have had a new whisky experience as impressive as is this Amrut Peated Cask Strength. For peat and smoke lovers, this is a totally delightful whisky. The nose is to die for. Amrut barley-malt has very high consistency for high quality and enjoyment across the Amrut product line. I have had very positive experiences with almost every Amrut I have tasted. Now that I have had the pleasure of its acquaintance I am a new big fan of the Amrut Peated Cask Strength

Batch 12: January 2014 700 cc 62.8%

I have made no secret that I am a big fan of Amrut. This is not an original opinion. I got the idea to buy Fusion either from Ralfy or from a review in the Globe and Mail about 3 ½ years ago. Since that time I have tried 8 different expressions, and I have enjoyed all of them.

This one is either my favourite or next to it. My first taste of it was at Spirit of Toronto in May 2014. I had intended to buy it when it was released in Ontario, as it was my favourite of the 5 at the masterclass, but when was available I confused it with the single cask expressions and was waiting for the single cask Peated CS, which, of course, never arrived.

Thankfully I was able to locate a couple of bottles in Richmond Hill in December, the month in which this bottle was opened.

This malt is reviewed a little differently than my other reviews. At S.O.T. , Ashok, the brand ambassador asked us to warm the glass after initially nosing. The result was what several of us described as magical. Although it is harder to replicate this with a Glencairn than with a stemmed glass, I’ve done my best. So this is reviewed at room temperature, warmed by hand, then with about 3-4 drops of water to a 15 cc pour (left to sit for about 15 minutes).

Nose

Room temperature: Hint of smoke. Caramel. Tropical fruits. After warming: richer nose, gentle peat, stronger caramel, fruit more subdued With water: Pineapple hits you right away. Vanilla and caramel are still there, peat is in the background.

Taste:

Room temperature: Fruits, peat, hint of chocolate. Pineapple. Sour note. After warming: Explosion of flavour, sweet and sour, vanilla, caramel, some milk chocolate, sweet peat. With water: very fruity, a slight alcohol burn (but mild enough to be pleasant), peat is in the background. Warming it brings the peat back front and centre, and it feels like honey-syrup on the tongue, sweet (but not cloying) with the caramel and vanilla flavours accentuated. When warm the alcohol burn disappears.

Finish: Neat the finish is long, dry with a slight sour note.

This one goes well with milk chocolate, specifically Trader Joe's Belgian milk chocolate.

This is a fantastic single malt… one of the best I’ve ever had. I rank it up there in enjoyment with A’Bunadh and Bladnoch, though of course it is completely different, which is good, because it means more variety of excellence.

This is one I would love to stock up on, especially this batch, which is (to me) proven. I have asked my local LCBO to bring some in and I intend to get my hands on a healthy supply. Hopefully enough to part with a bottle as a trade or a gift sometime.

Ok, so Amrut is one distillery that has a very special place both in my heart as well as in my bar..possibly because its Indian to start with. Secondly and more importantly it has consistently been bringing out some very tastefully made expressions which has been a delight to savor.

This was the first time I was having Amrut's Peated Cask Strength expression and as always I went in with high expectations:

Nose: Wow!! That was an instant reaction to what I nosed... There was a lot of wood and vanilla coming from the bourbon cask.. wet mud that literally took me back to the rainy season in India .. Sweet ripe oranges, guavas and some mangoes as well. Along with all of this there was always some restrained peat that kept raising its head in the background

Adding a few drops of water brought some banana and caramel for me..

Palate: This is when the peat came out much more prominently.. with a lot more of fruity notes that were carried forward from the nose.. combined with a tiny sprinkling of white pepper for the spice.. The genius though I suppose lies in the fact that at 62.8% this whisky is extremely smooth and completely not overpowering

Water bring out more citrus and a lot more spice.. which to be honest isn't as pleasant as it at cask strength

Finish: Continued fruity notes and mild spices and finally signing off with peat fumes and smoke which leave a nice warm feeling inside you for quite a while

The Verdict: One more Amrut that has exceeded expectations!! Have this ONLY at cask strength to enjoy it the most.. Slainte!!

Amrut distillery was founded in 1948 but it was not until the 1980ies that the company began to produce malt whisky. While the barley is grown in the foothills of the Himalaya the whisky is matured in Bangalore. Due to the tropical climatic conditions the whisky matures very quickly: three to five years in Bangalore are apparently considered to be the equivalent of ten years in Speyside. This peated, cask strength version has been distilled from Scottish peated barley with peat levels of 23 ppm and is part of Amrut’s core range.

The nose is astonishingly multifaceted: it starts with distinct grainy flavours, followed by vanilla ice cream, a healthy dose of caramel, hints of butter as well as of salt and seaweed. All in all this is a complex nose, very well balanced, but not easy to grasp.

The palate is full-bodied and spicy. While sweetness is present at first, it gets more oaky later on, accompanied by notes of nutmeg. Peat is present but not overwhelmingly so. With water the whole becomes astonishingly flat.

The finish is of medium length, warming, and spicy. Lovely bonfire smoke rounds the whole off.

This certainly was an unusual single malt, with flavours that were challenging to grasp but very well balanced overall. I greatly enjoyed this, much more so than the ‘Fusion’, to be honest. What is more, this is very drinkable at cask strength, and in fact I prefer it without adding water.

This is the other Amrut I picked up – 3 sample bottles of 50mL. I have tasted it on three different occasions. The first night it went up against Amrut Fusion 50% and the standard Amrut Peated at 46%. This was the clear winner for me that night. The second time I put it up against Laphroaig 10yo CS Batch 002 56.3%, Ardbeg Supernova SN2010 60.1% and Octomore 1.1 63.5%. The third time I put it up against Ardbeg Still Young 56.2%, a Kilchoman Single Cask at 60.3%, and Octomore 1.1 again.

Here is the thing. I never look at my previous scores. The tastings were far enough apart that couldn’t remember what I had scored it at last (let alone how I scored the 5 categories I use). And in all three tasting the score for this Amrut was consistent: 88.5 then 89 and then 89 again. So this a compilation of my tasting experience with this guy.

Nose: Very fruity and malty. Fruitiest of the night: dark fruits like dates, raisins, black cherries and dried plumbs. Compared to the big cask strength bruisers from Islay this is less peaty by far. This reminds me of a desert peat (or it might just be my impressionable imagination). Perhaps a hint of sherry and blood oranges in the background? But very simple and delicate compared with the others. Definitely a baritone peat tone. Simple, but very enjoyable. I would have liked a touch more peat. However, time really reveals the fruit behind the peat. The fruit and malt are on a gigantic bed of peat. It is a very dry peat – desert peat! (Very fruity with dry peat) With water reduced to 46%: Wow! Way more lemon cake and citrus. There is more peat and smoke as well. Still fruity. Same score.

Taste: Very fruit forward. Everything on the nose is here on the tongue. Now the peat and wood are creeping up on you: sweet dark purple fruits, and some honey and peat. It is nice in a sherry type way, but very quickly it becomes even more intolerable in the mouth then the Supernova. Nice while it lasted. With water reduced to 46%: Way better. The fruit, honey and peat are all still there. But the salt build up is way diminished. Lovely. Some very interesting spices that I feel like you will only find in India . . . nice indeed.

Finish: Nice intake of breath then a huge salt searing peat explosion of sand, peat, and strange spices that are both sweet and bitter rip through your mouth. Now a second wave rips through you. Amazing. Luckily the searing salt doesn’t last forever . . . but it is really overpowering. There are some sherry hints and other dark fruity notes that go well with the searing desert peat storm. It is truly a sand storm of biblical proportions on your tongue. With water reduced to 46%: More dark fruit and sherried then anything else tonight. It is a nice balance of peat and fig compote. Much more accessible with water but you lose that amazing intensity in favor of huge Indian spices. It is a trade off so the score stays the same.

Complexity, Balance: Amazing complexity for such a very young whisky . . . from India! I like it. This would be the one I would buy. This reminds me of a fruity highlander, but with peat. All that fruit is very odd. It is balanced between peat and fruit, dry desert and juicy fruit – and I like it – but next to a young peat bruiser from Islay this is the odd man out.

Aesthetic experience: As with the Amrut Fusion the label states proudly that it is Indian while at the same time standing firmly in the Scottish tradition of whisky. I liked the green trim on the standard peated Amrut version better then the gray on parchment of the cask strength version. However, I LOVE that that it is cask strength AND at 62.8%!! This is a monster of peat and I love it: not much to hate here. Availability and price?

Conclusion: So I really like Cask Strength whiskies. I also love Peat. No secret. I am biased I this way. This has both. It is also a wonderfully different take on peat from Islay and I LOVE the variety. The score for me is a “buy again.” Here is my problem – price (sad to say). The only places I have seen it have it for $75-$80 a bottle. I can pick up Laphroaig 10yo CS or Ardbeg Uigeadail for around $60, and Ardbeg Corry for $72. – all scored much higher for my enjoyment rating. So while I would love to have a bottle my only reason to buy is for the sake of variety – and when I am feeling a little free with my cash. And that probably won’t be anytime soon. I can always use a few more bottles of Uigeadail or Laphroaig 10yo CS around. Still, one day the stars will align and I’ll pick this up.

If you love peated Cask Strength whiskies like I do . . . try it.

Nose, Taste, Finish and Balance are graded out of 2.5 each:

Nose: A very eclectic medley of flavours right from the off. We have wet mouldy shoes, rubbing shoulders with a used polish-cloth. These slightly earthier, more chemical notes are balanced by the plump raisins and tangy apple peel. Once this balance has been created we can from there move on to the bar of soap, mixed in with seaweed and Barbour wax jackets. A final note of Lapsang Souchong tea leaves completes the tour de force. 2.5

Taste: The sweetened seaweed floats on the tongue, with the high alcohol content giving off vapours of shortbread and lemon and honey tea. Much like the nose however, the palate is in no shortage of variety when it comes to flavour, as holding the liquid for a little longer in the mouth brings out notes of lemon cough sweets and warm toffee pudding. 2.0

Finish: A desert of a finish, following the assorted tapas style nose and palate. Amaretto biscuits and spicy figs indulge the taste-buds, as the finish slowly grows in the mouth, leaving us with a lingering tangerine shortbread soaked in a warm chocolate sauce. An accompanying chaperone of spicy smoke is forced to remind us that this is in fact a peated dram. 2.0

Balance: Well, it would be difficult to pack many more flavours into one small glass of liquid. A dram of this will leave you nosing and tasting for the entire night, constantly adding to the growing list of notes that you may have picked up. As a result this a whisky to never get bored of, and what's more, each of those notes is most likely to be one that you'll want to keep looking for over an over again. Peat-heads may find this a slightly candied imposter, however those looking for a complex and eclectic whisky need not look any further. A real gem. 2.5