Amrut KURINJI Single Malts of India
Amrut KURINJI Single Malts of India
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UNPEATED SINGLE MALT. Amrut's newest release under the umbrella brand - 'Single Malts of India' to showcase some of the hidden gem malts of India.
Kurinji is a single malt eponymously sourced from the hills and exhibits traits that uniquely spring from the locale. Ancient Tamil texts, dating back to the Sangam period (300 BC – 300 AD), classify mother earth into five regions called Tinais, each associated with its distinct literary style, grammar, culture, and even cuisine. Sangam literature has documented the “Kurinji” in its Agam or love poetry. The inspiration behind our next expression is the exuberant Kurinji flowers, nestled in the hills of South India. This flower blooms once every 12 years (a phenomenon known as Plietesials), filling the lush greenery of the mountains with a purple shade as far as the eyes can see! As the water flows down the hill and so do the stories with it, every bottle of Amrut’s Kurinji encompasses the floral flavor of the purple-shaded mountains that it originates from.
awards & accolades
2023
WHISKY ADVOCATE -92 Points
Bottle Tasting Notes
Nose: Opens with sweet floral wafts of jasmine & honeysuckle. A freshly ironed cotton shirt, in a musty grain barn. Underneath the sweet fruity, floral goodness there's a refreshing presence - some coriander and cucumber-infused mineral spring water, and a hint of white pepper.
Palate: Sweet caramel toffee onset. Glides through the palate with a syrupy texture, triggering mini-mine explosions of spice along the way - anise, nutmeg, baking spice. Some candied ginger transitions the spices into sweetness while soft comforting vanilla again brings these together, and along with saliva dilution,
smoothens the palate into a fruity syrup - slices of peach and pears sprinkled with lime and drizzled with honey.
Finish: Warm ginger & white pepper with some chewy tobacco and spiced oak. After ingestion, the spirit lingers for a good while, but suddenly like a spiteful spouse who got everything in the divorce, turns dry and bitter, almost wicking moisture off your palate, leaving you with memories and wanting more.
DISTILLERY notes
AMRUT is the LEGENDARY INDIAN SINGLE MALT WHISKY. It is best known for its eponymous AMRUT line of single malt whiskies, which is the first single malt whisky to be made in India. The brand gained recognition after world famous whisky connoisseur Jim Murray gave AMRUT FUSION a stellar 97 point rating in 2010. Murray named Amrut Fusion single malt whisky as the third best in the world and whisky heads began to turn. John Hansell, editor of American magazine Whisky Advocate, wrote that "India's Amrut Distillery changed the way many think of Indian whisky. Amrut is making whisky, and it's very good".
Amrut Indian Single Malt Whisky is crafted in Bengaluru India.IN 2020 Amrut established itself as a global leader placing #11 on wine-searcher.com's top 25 most searched single malt whiskies. 21 Scotch whiskies, 3 Japanese whiskies and 1 Indian whisky.
DISTILLERY insights
Amrut and their many fans, consider Amrut to mean "Elixir of Life". AMRUT means "Immortality" in Sanskrit or in ancient Indian texts it means "NECTAR. Amrut is a Sanskrit word which can be translated as "nectar of the gods", "nectar of life", or "drink of the gods".
AWARDS : Amrut Distilleries have won over 50 international awards for both the distillery and it's Single Malt Whiskies and Rums.
PEDIGREE : AMRUT was the first Indian distillery to export an Indian Single Malt Whisky produced according to Scotch Whisky Association Standards.
CLIMATE : Bangalore or Bengaluru in modern India, experiences a tropical savanna climate with distinct wet and dry seasons. The city is situated at an altitude of 3000 feet above sea level and usually enjoys a moderate climate throughout the year. Winter temperatures rarely drop below 12 °C (54 °F), and summer temperatures seldom exceed 34–35 °C (<100 °F). The altitude and climate have a profound effect on the aging process and how Amrut works with their Angels.
AGING : Research done in Scotland has shown that Amrut Single Malt Whisky aged in Bangalore, India ages approximately 3.5 times faster than Scottish aged whisky. This is due to the altitude of 3000 ft above sea level and the constant climate temperature of 78 degrees F. If on average an Amrut Whisky is aged for 4.5 years in Bangalore, then it has the smoothness and profile of a Whisky aged in Scotland for 12 - 15 years.
PEOPLE : The company prefers to avoid automation in order to maintain jobs at the distillery. A large number of the employees on the bottling and packaging lines are woman who are considered key income earners in their families.
THE BARLEY used in Amrut Indian Single Malt Whisky is 6 row, vs 2 row in Scotland. This results in smaller grains with more flavors and a slightly sweeter taste profile. Barley is 100% Indian grown and comes from Northern States of Haryana, Punjab + Rajasthan.
CASKS : Amrut buys bourbon barrels from Heaven Hill, Buffalo Trace and Jack Daniels. Amrut uses both American new oak and used bourbon barrels in it's aging process.
TIME : Amrut's first Single Malt Whisky made it's debute in Glasgow, Scotland on August 24, 2004. It's first rum was produced in 1950. Amrut Distillieries was founded in 1948 by JN Rao Jagdale and the company is currently operated by the third generation of Jagdale family members.
