Some of the most interesting whiskies being released today are coming from India. The country’s producers are working across everything from accessible blends to internationally acclaimed single malts, using local barley, imported peat, varied cask types, and India’s demanding maturation climate to create distinctive styles.
These ten bottles offer a broad introduction to contemporary Indian whisky, covering established names, newer distilleries, everyday blends, and premium single malts.
1. WINGMAN Whisky
Price: ₹800+
WINGMAN is a smooth, balanced whisky with an approachable character and an easy finish. Rather than trying to overwhelm the drinker, it is designed as a straightforward bottle suited to informal gatherings, celebrations, and everyday occasions.
Positioned between entry-level blends and more aspirational brands, WINGMAN aims to offer a dependable drinking experience at an accessible price. It is a whisky built around value, consistency, and broad appeal.
2. Amrut Fusion
Amrut Distilleries, Bangalore
Price: ₹2,900 to ₹3,500
Amrut Fusion opens with citrus, fruit, spice, and a gentle trace of peat. The palate is creamy and full-bodied, bringing together oak, coffee, and dark chocolate before a long, spiced finish.
Founded in Bangalore in 1948, Amrut spent decades producing spirits for the domestic market before its single malts gained international recognition. Fusion combines Indian barley grown near the Himalayan foothills with peated Scottish barley. The whisky is then matured in Bangalore’s warm climate, where cask interaction happens considerably faster than it would in Scotland.
Fusion was among the first Indian single malts to receive sustained attention from international critics, and it remains one of the releases most closely associated with the rise of Indian whisky on the global stage.
3. Paul John Brilliance
John Distilleries, Goa
Price: ₹3,200 to ₹4,500
Paul John Brilliance offers aromas of honey, tropical fruit, and Demerara sugar, followed by cocoa, vanilla, and gentle spice on the palate. Its unpeated profile makes it one of the more approachable introductions to the Paul John range.
Named after John Distilleries founder Paul P. John, the whisky is made in Goa using six-row barley grown near the Himalayan foothills. It is matured predominantly in ex-bourbon casks, with Goa’s warm coastal climate encouraging rapid interaction between the spirit and the wood.
Without peat taking center stage, Brilliance places the focus firmly on fruit, sweetness, barley, and the influence of tropical maturation.
4. Rampur Select
Radico Khaitan, Rampur, Uttar Pradesh
Price: ₹4,000 to ₹4,800
Rampur Select begins with honey, dried fruit, and floral aromas. Apricot, apple, malt, and oak follow on the palate, leading into a rich and lingering finish.
The whisky is produced at Radico Khaitan’s Rampur distillery in Uttar Pradesh. The region experiences considerable seasonal temperature changes, from intensely hot summers to much cooler winters. These fluctuations increase the movement of spirit in and out of the oak, contributing to a relatively active maturation process.
Rampur describes its single malt as the “Kohinoor of single malts,” drawing on the history and cultural associations of the region while presenting the whisky to an international audience.
5. Indri Trini
Piccadily Distilleries, Indri, Haryana
Price: ₹2,000 to ₹2,600
Indri Trini combines caramelized pineapple, black tea, and oak on the nose with vanilla, honey, dark fruit, and toasted nuts on the palate. Its finish is long, warming, and mouth-coating.
The whisky is made with Indian six-row barley and matured in three types of cask: ex-bourbon barrels, French red wine casks, and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks. Its name comes from the Sanskrit word for “three,” referring to this three-cask maturation.
Since its launch in 2022, Indri-Trini has collected a substantial number of international awards and helped draw further attention to the growing Indian single malt category.
6. Kamet Single Malt
Piccadily Distilleries, Haryana
Price: ₹4,200 to ₹5,300
Kamet Single Malt presents dried fruit, oak spice, toffee, and crème brûlée on the nose. Vanilla, dark chocolate, and stewed fruit develop on the palate, followed by nutmeg and cedar on the finish.
Named after Mount Kamet, one of India’s highest peaks, the whisky is produced near Kurukshetra in Haryana. It is matured using a combination of ex-bourbon barrels, French oak casks, and sherry casks.
The whisky was developed with master distiller Surrinder Kumar, an influential figure in the development of Indian single malt. Its label features a parrot, reflecting the bird’s role as a messenger and fortune-teller in regional folklore.
7. Godawan 01 Rich and Rounded
The Good Craft Co., Diageo India, Alwar, Rajasthan
Price: ₹3,500 to ₹4,500
Godawan 01 Rich and Rounded offers dried fruit, cinnamon, and oak on the nose, followed by raisins, cloves, dark chocolate, and nutmeg. The whisky is full-bodied, with a long and gently spiced finish.
Godawan is produced in Rajasthan, where exceptionally high daytime temperatures create an intense maturation environment. The whisky is finished in casks treated with selected Indian botanicals, an approach intended to add another layer of spice and complexity.
The brand is named after the Great Indian Bustard, a critically endangered bird found in the region. Godawan also supports conservation efforts associated with the species.
8. Longitude 77
Pernod Ricard India, Dindori, Nashik
Price: ₹4,500 to ₹5,500
Longitude 77 opens with caramelized sugar, vanilla, and oak spice. Honey, dried fruit, and cinnamon follow on the palate, with a light smokiness appearing toward the finish.
Named after the 77th meridian east, which passes through India, Longitude 77 was the first Indian single malt launched by Pernod Ricard India. It was introduced as the company marked 30 years of operating in the country.
The whisky is produced in small batches in Nashik and matured in American oak bourbon barrels before undergoing additional maturation in wine casks. The process is designed to make full use of India’s warm climate and accelerated cask interaction.
9. Woodburns
Fullarton Distilleries, Goa
Price: ₹1,400 to ₹3,000, depending on the state
Woodburns is warm and aromatic, with notes of sesame oil, oak resin, and dried herbs. The palate is silky and slightly oily, bringing together oak, nuts, and a restrained sweetness.
Produced in Goa, Woodburns combines peated and unpeated Indian malt spirits matured in charred oak casks. The resulting whisky offers a gentle smokiness rather than the more forceful peat found in some single malts.
The brand has received medals at spirits competitions in London, New York, and Singapore, helping it establish a place among India’s growing selection of premium domestic whiskies.
10. Blenders Pride Reserve Collection
Pernod Ricard India, blended with malts from Chivas Brothers
Price: ₹900 to ₹1,300
Blenders Pride Reserve Collection is light but expressive, combining peach, cherry, sweet oak, toffee, and caramel. The finish is smooth, with a gentle warmth.
Launched in 1995, Blenders Pride has become one of India’s most recognizable premium blended whiskies. It combines Indian grain spirit with imported Scotch malt whisky, creating a cross-border blend with a style intended to remain accessible to a wide audience.
For many Indian drinkers, Blenders Pride has served as an introduction to the premium whisky category before they move toward single malts and more expensive releases. Its continued popularity reflects the substantial market for whiskies that balance affordability with a more polished drinking experience.
Why Indian Whisky Belongs on Your Radar
From established international names to newer Indian producers, these bottles demonstrate the breadth of whisky now being made and sold across the country. They also provide several different starting points for drinkers interested in exploring Indian whisky beyond the best-known single malts.
Disclosure: This article was provided by IndoBevs and edited by The Whiskey Wash.
Read the full article at 10 Indian Whiskies Every Whisky Drinker Should Try
