Whisky review: Amrut single malt

I finally nabbed myself some Amrut single malt. Mostly it was for a party. There was a Scotch and cigars session planned and I don't care for Scotch, so a suitable alternative was needed. I figured what better way to duck out of Scotch whisky than with novelty? So novelty it was.

The single malt iteration of Amrut is 46% alcohol. That is a bit stronger than your typical bottling, and I feel really needed a bit of water or ice chilling to open up the flavors. Otherwise it tasted much like a single malt whisky. Smooth, which it should be for the price. But no exotic flavors jumped out. The other drinkers expressed the same sentiments. No curry taste here. Just whisky.

At home a more careful tasting with more time for the ice to melt opened up more subtle flavors. The misses thought she tasted cardamon or anise. Now I love anise, and maybe there was a hint of some exotic Indian floral notes therein, but I found it to be largely just a decent single malt. None of the bitterness I find in most Scotch whisky (Sorry Glenlivet) so it definitely worked for me with the cigars (and steak, my lord the steak). But not really some crazy flavors either.

Don't come away empty handed

Sounds like the punchline to some masturbation joke? Oh well. I was back in Chicago, on business, and decided to stop in Binny's for that Amrut Indian whisky. They didn't have any. But I wasn't about to leave empty handed. They had two new Irish whiskeys. I bought the cheaper one, which looked to be another Cooley brand. Indeed it was.

John Sullivan whiskey. It was named after an ole' timey bare knuckle boxer. Similar to some other Cooley whiskeys I've had, like the Tyrconnell and Irish Manor. The bottle is tinted green with old Sullivan's photo glaring at me. It is a rather dry whiskey, with a citrus sweetness again similar to what I've had with the Tyrconnell and Irish Manor. Very different from the caramel sweetness in Kilbeggan.

The more expensive whiskey will have to wait for another time. It said it was from county Kerry. Could this be a new distillery? The name was rediculous. Irish wild geese and lonely heart's club band whiskey. Ok, it was really called The Wild Geese Irish Soldier and Heroes. Yeah, so on the website it looks like it is a Cooley whiskey also. So two new Cooley whiskeys in Chicago. No Indian whiskey.

There was also an intriguing new American whiskey. From Virginia it was a single malt pot still whiskey called Wasmund's. It was a bit pricey for a domestic, so again it will have to wait for another trip to the city with whiskey shoulders.

In the end I went to Binny's to get some Indian whisky and came out with some Irish whiskey. At least I didn't come away empty handed.

It's coming

According to my news sources, Amrut Indian whisky hits shelves stateside in a limited release this month. The states are New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Hey, I was just in Illinois. Damn, I didn't think to go buying whisky there seeing as I was Smokey and the Bandit for the weekend.

It would have been perfect timing too, seeing as it has been warm and foggy and almost all the snow is gone. Spring is here and that means we are in for a long summer. What better way to cool down than a large dram of Indian whisky? Well, unless it tastes like poo of course.

Bring on the New Year

My sources tell me that on St. Patrick's day Paddy's Irish whiskey will have a limited run stateside. It will be good for me to see if I like it, and then horde a half dozen bottles. Or not.

Amrut hopes to clear customs by January. That means we can look forward to a happy Booze Year in 2010.