The world of whisky is growing ever larger. Today, you don’t only find whiskies produced by traditional areas known for distilling like Scotland and Kentucky. Increasingly, other countries are starting their own whisky production, from South Korea to India. Now, a new Indian whisky is set to debut in the U.S., giving customers the chance to try a new style and flavor range. Bhakta Spirits and House of Vintages in Vermont are launching the Bhakta 2012 Indian Single Malt Whisky, one of the first of its type to come out of India.
“Indian whiskies are virtually unknown to the mainstream of the American whiskey-drinking public,” said the brand’s founder, Raj Peter Bhakta, and American entrepreneur who is half Irish and half Indian. “But this is a stunning and sublime example of what Indian whisky can be. India has a tremendously rich distilling tradition—and you’re simply going to get more flavor out of Indian whisky than you’ll get out of a Scotch single malt, which is unsurprising. Consider it like comparing, flavor-wise, fish and chips versus chicken tikka masala.”
Bhakta, who is known for his work with beloved brand WhistlePig, wanted to champion India’s burgeoning whisky market and so hunted down some of the earliest whisky distilled there. He found a single malt distilled in 2012, made from malted barley grown in Northern India, and aged in non-climate controlled rickhouses — meaning that the whisky experienced tropical temperatures with as much as 8-9% of each cask being evaporated as the “angel’s share.”
The result is an intense and complex whisky with an abv of 56.9% and rich flavors. “Bhakta 2012 Indian Single Malt Whisky offers a sensory journey like no other,” says Master Blender Peter Lynch. “A visual delight in the glass, this topaz-hued single malt shows cardamom, cacao, and tropical fruits on the nose. On the palate, it unfolds with a malty, delicate sweetness showing roasted chestnut, toasted oak, and peat smoke. The finish is long and insanely vibrant. This is whisky you won’t soon forget—and one that has without question won its place in our House of Vintages.”
