What Better Way To Celebrate Diwali Than With A Rampur Indian Malt Whisky Tasting!

The Rampur Indian Single Malt Whisky Virtual Tasting Line-up!

The team at Rampur Distillery invited me to an online virtual tasting of their four Indian Single Malt Whiskies yesterday to help celebrate Diwali – the Festival of Light – culminating on Saturday 14th November!

The online tasters had the pleasure of tasting four Rampur expressions led by Master Distiller, Anup Barik:-

• Rampur Select Indian Single Malt Whisky
• Rampur PX Sherry Cask Indian Single Malt Whisky
• Rampur Double Cask Indian Single Malt Whisky
• Rampur Asava Indian Single Malt Whisky

Anup with Rampur Whiskies

Rampur Indian Single Malt Whiskies are a range of luxury whiskies produced by one of India’s oldest distilleries, Rampur Distillery. These super premium malt whiskies, which are styled as “The Kohinoor of Single Malts”, are steeped in the rich Indian heritage and enduring traditions of the Maharajas. Rampur whiskies are named after the princely India state known for its rich heritage and royal traditions.

The Distillery

Rampur Distillery is owned by Radico Khaitan, which was established in 1943 and is the largest Indian beverage company. Radico Khaitan is also one of the oldest whisky distillers in India and Rampur Distillery has been distilling high quality and innovative malt for over 25 years. Rampur Whisky is distilled, matured and bottled in Uttar Pradesh in the foothills of the Himalayas.

Rampur Distillery

The Process

The Himalayas provide polar opposite climate conditions throughout the year, which means that Indian whisky matures significantly more quickly than other whiskies such as Scotch and Irish whiskies.

As Rampur Distillery is situated at the foothills of The Himalayas, the cold winters and hot summers give their whiskies added dimension and produce single malts with depth of flavour which are smooth and mellow tasting with a long-lasting finish. Master Blender, Anup Barik, was born into a family of blenders and brings decades of expertise and perfection to the blending of these fine whiskies.

I find that Rampur is a great dram for people who are new to whisky. Their sweet, tropical fruit trademark is an easy introduction to the world of whiskies!

So, what did I think? Here are my tasting notes …

Tasting Notes – Rampur Select Indian Single Malt Whisky (43%)

Styled as “The Kohinoor of Single Malts”. It is their only dram of the four that contains caramel.
Rampur Select won the Double Gold Medal in The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2017.
£49.95

Nose: Massive fruity hit of green apple closely followed by Lychee. The Lychee then takes over coupled with toffee – lovely! Palate: Smooth and light with strong flavours of Lychee, mango, vanilla toffee. Finish: Short finish with a growing spice. Overall: Such a drinkable whisky with the tropical fruit flavours delighting every time!

Tasting Notes – Rampur PX Sherry Cask Indian Single Malt Whisky (45%)

A limited 48 Casks release.

A few exceptional casks of Rampur Single Malt Whisky matured in American Oak were handpicked by Rampur’s Master Distiller post maturation and transferred to PX Sherry Butts from Jerez, Spain for further maturation.
£68.95

Nose: Very sweet and fruity with tropical fruits including Lychee and mango. Then add in some creamy vanilla fudge! Palate: Huge Lychee and Rose palate hit – very unusual but fantastic! Blackcurrant (which lingers to the finsish) and chocolate. Finish: Very peppery, warming spice but that tropical fruitiness goes on and on! Overall: I LOVED the Lychee and Rose flavours – so unusual. A big hit for me!

Tasting Notes – Rampur Double Cask Indian Single Malt Whisky (45%)

Handcrafted single malt whisky matured for two-thirds of its life in hand-selected American Bourbon barrels and one third in
European Oak Sherry cask.
£60.00

Nose: Apples and rich plump fruits with banana also thrown in for good measure. Old polished wood. Honey with a vanilla sweetnes. Palate: Tropical fruits abound! There’s hints of pineapple but mostly gorgeous flavours of mango and even lychees! Finish: Rich, fruity spiciness with honey and lots of tropical flavours. It’s a long finish that gets quite fiery – very warming! Overall: This is a really great whisky. The strength of the tropical fruit flavours is a revelation! But it’s all well tempered with some nice spiciness. A fantastic dram from a great whisky producing nation!

Tasting Notes – Rampur Asava Indian Single Malt Whisky (45%)

Matured in American Bourbon barrels and meticulously perfected in Indian Cabernet Sauvignon casks for the first time in History!
Non-chill filtered.
£68.95

Nose: Creamy biscuit, vanilla and tropical fruit. The blackcurrant is there but arrives slowly. Then make way for chocolate and coffee. Palate: Gorgeous Lychee with very smooth creamy chocolate. Finish: Very peppery with tannic and tobacco. Overall: The red colour from the Cabernet Sauvignon casks is very Alluring – and so is the taste! Forget the dessert course – just have a Rampur Asava!

Rampur Indian Single Malt Whisky is available from The Whisky Exchange

Many thanks to Rampur Distillery (Instagram: @rampursinglemalt) for the lovely samples!

Related posts:

Celebrate Diwali & Old Fashioned Week With A Rampur ‘Asava’ Whisky Cocktail! Sampling Rampur Double Cask Indian Malt Whisky – Let’s Get Tropical For World Whisky Day! Paul John Whisky: The Tweet Tasters Get Bold! Whisky Tasting: LAPHROAIG LIVE 2014!

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