Paul John Indian Whisky Ranked: Which Bottle Should You Buy First?

Paul John is one of the go-to names in Indian single malt whisky, but which bottle should you choose? The Paul John range offers plenty of options, whether you’re looking for an approachable introduction or something more unusual and experimental.

Paul John single malts offer a wide variety of interesting flavors. With the intense heat and humidity of Goa accelerating the interaction between the spirit and the cask, the climate can produce some remarkably distinctive and impressive flavor profiles.

So, today I am going through my personal ranking of all of the Paul John whiskies I have tried. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

7. Paul John Nirvana, 40%, $37 / £33 / ₹1,850

Paul John’s entry-level malt sits at the beginning of the range and gives you a good introduction to what the brand is all about.

This is a honeyed, fruit-driven single malt with notes of figs, damson and fresh coconut. Its price and widespread availability also make it something most people can try without worrying about it being sold out or prohibitively expensive.

The flavors can feel a little muted when compared with other brands, or even the next step up in the Paul John range, but it is an entry-level whisky, so we cannot be too harsh. It still does a great job of being welcoming and flavorful.

6. Paul John Brilliance, 46%, $69 / £40 / ₹3,600

I have been conflicted about this one in the past. Sometimes it has climbed much higher in my rankings, but after trying it again, it has ended up near the bottom.

The aroma can send people in the wrong direction at first, as it has a very dry and slightly bitter quality. This sits one level above Nirvana in the range, and while the aromas are less obviously sweet, the whisky becomes more complex.

The palate is much more caramel-driven, with plenty of chocolate. With its higher ABV and broader range of flavors, it has considerably more to offer than Nirvana.

The nose can be divisive. I have been in rooms where half the people loved it while the other half questioned exactly what they were smelling. This is a great bottle if you want a challenge and something that will really make you think about what you are tasting.

5. Paul John Peated Select Cask, 55.5%, $116 / £72 / ₹9,450

Knowing my tastes, this should probably be further up the list, but some of the other expressions have really stolen the show.

This cask-strength, peated expression is one of Paul John’s more premium releases and has something of a west coast Scottish character. The palate delivers plenty of BBQ and burnt sugar notes, alongside some of the tropical fruit found in the previous two releases.

It is a big, cask-driven and sweetly smoky single malt. The only drawback is that peat is not for everyone, which may immediately rule it out for some drinkers.

You should buy this if you are looking for a peated whisky with a different edge, shaped by the kind of intense aging conditions we simply do not experience in Scotland.

4. Paul John Pedro Ximénez Select Cask, 48%, $131 / £80 / ₹9,450

Welcome to massive, indulgent sweetness.

The Pedro Ximénez Select Cask is a sherry-finished release that sits toward the top of the Paul John range. The nose is wonderfully decadent, with marmalade, butter, red fruits and plenty of chocolate.

If you enjoy sherried whisky, this is a must-buy. The tropical aging process has brought an enormous amount of color and flavor to the spirit.

The price is its only real downside. This is the most expensive regular release in the Paul John range. Pedro Ximénez casks are costly, and the higher strength also contributes to the price.

If you want rich, sweet and indulgent flavors, this is the obvious bottle to choose. It will set you back a fair amount of money, but it gives the likes of Glenfarclas, Macallan and Dalmore a serious run for their money while offering something distinctly different.

3. Paul John Oloroso Select Cask, 48%, £78 / ₹9,450

This follows a similar idea to the bottle above, but in my opinion, it is an even better example of what sherry casks and Paul John single malt can achieve together.

It sits slightly lower in the range and comes at a slightly lower price, but it has a flavor profile I could enjoy for days. Blackberry, honey, walnuts, and marinated fruits dominate both the nose and the palate.

Oloroso and Paul John work extremely well together. The cask provides just the right amount of sweetness while still allowing the drier side of the sherry to come through. Oloroso is the king of sherry, after all.

Again, it is one of the more expensive bottles, but once you smell and taste it, the price starts to make sense, particularly when compared with some of the bigger Scottish whisky brands.

If rich, sherried single malts are your thing, this is something you should already be buying. It has a massive flavor profile that reminds us why Paul John whisky and Oloroso sherry work so well together.

2. Paul John Bold, 46%, $69 / £40 / ₹3,600

Paul John Bold is an affordable, peated single malt made using Islay peat brought over from Scotland.

The nose and palate offer lime, smoked barley, burnt sugar and fruit-forward coffee notes. It is a fascinating and flavorful expression from the distillery in Goa.

Its price, flavor profile and availability all work in its favor. Once again, it may not be for you if you do not enjoy peat, although I believe there is a peated whisky out there for almost everyone.

If you have already tried plenty of classic peated whiskies from Scotland and elsewhere, this is certainly worth tasting and adding to your collection.

1. Paul John Classic Select Cask, 55.2%, $116 / £65 / ₹9,000

We finish with something punchy, powerful and packed with flavor.

Paul John Classic Select Cask is an unpeated, cask-strength and non-chill-filtered expression. It sits around the middle of the range in terms of price, but it hits the highest notes for me.

Speaking of notes, this is a hugely fruity single malt driven by sour green apples, sponge cake, vanilla icing and salt, alongside cinnamon and black pepper. The chocolate and raisin flavors are also genuinely delicious.

This bottle demonstrates just how intense and complex Paul John whisky can be. I love peated whiskies, but this expression shows off the distillery’s unpeated spirit better than anything else I have tasted from the range.

It is not the most affordable bottle, but if you have £70 to spend on something genuinely interesting, this is the bottle I would choose over many others in the whisky world.

You should buy it if you are looking for a powerful, potent and multilayered flavor profile, all delivered through Paul John’s excellently made single malt.

Which Paul John Whisky Should You Try First?

Naturally, we all have different tastes, so I do not expect everyone to enjoy a cask-strength release in the same way I do. However, Paul John makes excellent single malt whisky in several different styles.

If you have never tried Paul John before, I would start with Nirvana. An entry-level bottle can tell you a great deal about a brand without demanding a major investment.

Alternatively, if you already know that you want punchier, more intense flavors, jumping straight into one of the Select Cask releases will show you what Paul John can do at its most powerful.

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