In 2010, Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible rated Amrut Fusion 97 out of 100 and named it the “Third Finest Whisky in the World,” and many whisky drinkers outside India started paying closer attention to Indian single malt. It’s made by Amrut Distilleries in Bangalore and bottled at 50% ABV. It is also perhaps one of the most well-known Indian single malts in the world.
So, what is the best way to enjoy the Indian single malt that arguably took the category global? Today, we will take a look at the best serves for Amrut Fusion so that you can get the best out of this iconic Indian whisky.
What Is Amrut Fusion?
Amrut Distilleries was founded in Bangalore in 1948 by J.N. Radhakrishna Rao Jagdale, and Amrut was the first single malt whisky made in India. Fusion is named for its recipe, which combines 75% unpeated Indian barley with 25% peated Scottish barley.
According to Amrut’s US importer, Glass Revolution, the Indian barley is grown in Punjab near the foothills of the Himalayas, and the peated barley is malted at Bairds in Inverness. The two are distilled separately and aged in American oak for around four years, then combined and bottled at 50% ABV with no age statement
Four years is young for a single malt, but Bangalore’s heat has the effect of ‘speeding up’ the maturation, pushing the whisky in and out of the wood at a more rapid rate, accelerating the interaction.
Amrut loses 11 to 12% of its whisky to evaporation each year, compared with about 2% in Scotland. The distillery’s former master blender, Surinder Kumar, has estimated that one year of aging in India is equal to three years in Scotland.
Critics have rated it highly for well over a decade. Along with its 2010 Whisky Bible score, Fusion was named World Whisky of the Year at the 2011 Malt Advocate Whisky Awards. John Hansell gave it 89 points in Whisky Advocate and described it in 2010 as having “rich caramel, vanilla custard, and fruit cocktail in light syrup.”
In the UK, The Whisky Exchange lists it at £55.75. In the US, it usually sells for around $75 to $85.
How Should You Drink It?
Neat
The best way to get to know Fusion is to taste it neat first. At 50% ABV you might expect it to burn, but Debbie Shocair of The Whiskey Reviewer found the mouthfeel “surprisingly gentle for 100 proof.”
Give it a few sips at full strength. You can always water it down. At 50% ABV, you will taste the full intensity of the peat, rich dark chocolate, coffee, and oak spice.
With Water
After you’ve tried it neat, it’s worth adding a little water, and this is where the distillery and the critics agree most closely. The same Glass Revolution interview describes Chokalingam’s approach: “Sometimes he adds a few drops of water to open the whisky.”
Serge Valentin of Whiskyfun tasted an early batch bottled in March 2009 and gave it 82 points, calling it “simply very good, but needs water on the nose.” With water, he found pineapple jelly, blood orange, and vanilla on the nose, and the palate turned creamy and fruity, close to apricot liqueur.
Adding a few drops of water will open up the notes of honey, citrus, marmalade, and malted barley.
The simplest way to do this at home is to add a few drops at a time from a teaspoon or dropper and taste between each addition, until the heat settles and the fruit comes through.
On the Rocks or in a Highball
Ice is fine if you prefer it. One large cube melts more slowly than a handful of small ones, so the whisky dilutes more gradually. Fusion also works as a long drink with soda.
Best Mixers and the Amrut Highball
The Highball
If you’d like something longer and cooler, Fusion works well with soda. Pair it with good-quality soda water, and the lighter peat and bright fruit make it an easy, refreshing long drink. To make one, fill a tall glass with ice, pour in a measure of Fusion, top it with chilled soda water, and give it a gentle stir.
Cocktails
Fusion also has a good track record when it comes to cocktails. At the 2012 Ultimate Cocktail Challenge in New York, professional bartenders made each cocktail to the same recipe, out of sight of the judges, who then tasted them blind.
Fusion scored 95 points in the Rob Roy, a classic made with whisky and sweet vermouth, and won the Chairman’s Trophy, the competition’s top honor. The judges wrote that “Amrut from India is now ready to play in the big leagues of whisk(e)y.”
Fusion also scored 94 as a finalist in the Rusty Nail. The judging panel was led by F. Paul Pacult and included well-known bartenders such as Dale DeGroff, Julie Reiner, and Jim Meehan.
Occasions
Fusion is a good bottle to open with friends, especially if some of them haven’t tried Indian whisky before. Its story, with Indian and Scottish barley and fast maturation in Bangalore’s heat, gives everyone something to talk about while they taste it.
For the same reason, it makes a great gift for someone who already enjoys Scotch and would like to try something from a different part of the world.
On warm evenings, a highball or a pour over one large cube is an easy way to enjoy it outside. When it’s cooler, a neat pour with a few drops of water suits a slow evening at home or a nightcap after dinner.
Fusion also has enough body and spice to stand up to flavorful food, which makes a meal with friends a natural time to open a bottle.
Food Pairings, Including From Indian Cuisine
Fusion’s spice and gentle smoke make it a good match for Indian dishes with plenty of flavor. The Liquor Barn suggests tandoori-spiced lamb, since the char and spice work with the cinnamon on the whisky’s finish. Bin Ends, a Massachusetts wine and spirits shop, recommends spiced lamb curry, along with grilled meats and aged cheeses.
Amrut has also shown how well Fusion goes with spicy Asian food. In February 2018, the distillery hosted an “Art of Pairing” dinner at Yauatcha, a Cantonese restaurant in Bangalore, to show how its whiskies work alongside Asian dishes. Food writer Debolina Ray, who attended, reported that Fusion was served with the main courses: crispy tofu in hakka sauce, golden prawns in lime sauce, and white snapper in XO sauce.
If you’re cooking something other than Indian or Asian food, The Liquor Barn suggests smoked salmon to go with the peat, aged Cheddar or Gruyère for their richness, and grilled stone fruit with honey to bring out the plum and cherry notes.
Final Thoughts
Amrut Fusion is at its best neat with a few drops of water, which brings out the fruit and softens the heat of the 50% ABV. Save the ice and soda for warm evenings, when a highball makes it easy to enjoy outside.
For more on Indian whisky, see our Amrut whisky guide and Scotch vs. Indian Whisky: The Bottles That Show The Difference Best. For other bottles in the ‘How To Drink’ series, check out Glenfiddich 12, Dewar’s White Label, Johnnie Walker Black Cask, and Ballantine’s Finest.
Read the full article at How To Drink Amrut Fusion
