Who doesn't love a good story behind a bottle? And boy, have I got one for you.

I had popped by one of my favourite local watering holes, the Swan Song Bar (in Singapore), and I typically start with what I was already here for - something I saw from a past visit; something someone told me I had to try (might change my life); or something I saw online - but after that, and hear me out, because I think I've (partially) cracked the code on how to find interesting things at the bar, I'd ask for what's new. Yeah, yeah, nothing wild - no secret nuclear codes, but I've hardly been disappointed! 

Arun at the Swan Song bar.

The man behind the stick at Swan Song, Arun, who is himself a treasure of the Singapore whisky scene - it's not exaggeration that folks come from all over just to catch him - pointed out to me this Amrut. What's that about, I ask.

I've had Amrut before (they are one of the most prominent Indian whisky distillers), I enjoy their Indian single malt whiskies, and I even enjoy their rums too (which I think they're doing some phenomenal work with) - but this one's different. 

"For the Children of a Lesser God" 

Arun tells me that he occasionally brings some good folks from India's Single Malt Amateur Club (SMAC) on a whisky run around Singapore when they visit - like a whisky tour guide of sorts - I told you I wasn't exaggerating when I said folks come here for Arun. On the most recent visit by the SMAC, they had left at the bar this Amrut that was bottled for the club. 

As the story goes, someone at the SMAC had been in touch with the folks at Amrut and had asked why it was that there hadn't been a single cask from Amrut made available for the SMAC. To that end, he had quipped to the Amrut folks "Are we the children of a lesser God?" to mean that the SMAC folks were not worthy of something good from Amrut despite being fellow countrymen. This probably incited some good laughs from the Amrut folks because I'm here trying a private bottling of ex-Rye finished Amrut - and also because I had a terribly good laugh at the story too.

And so on Arun's recommendation I had to give it a go!

This Amrut single cask was aged for over 7 1/2 years and was finished in an ex-Rye cask, bottled at 50% ABV. Only 120 bottles of these are available - so if you're in Singapore, you know where to find it. Or just got hit up those SMAC folks!

Let's go!

Amrut 'For the Children of a Lesser God' ex-Rye Indian Single Malt Whisky, bottled for Single Malt Amateur Club India, 50% ABV - Review

Tasting Notes

Colour: Amber

Aroma: A gentle layer of white pepper spiciness, beneath which lies a floor of honey, peaches and apricots. It's got a very mellow and honeyed richness, almost candied with some assorted tinned fruit syrup mixed in. With time, light notes of green guavas begin to peek out, and with more time, we're talking pink guavas decked in honey. It's more rich and mellowed than bright and punchy. The pink guavas only become vibrant with time. 

Taste: Medium-bodied, more honey and tinned fruit syrup. Peaches, apricots, raisins, guavas. Still with that light white pepper spiciness. It's like a fruit salad steeping in the fruit syrup from the tin. It's like a thin layer of white pepper and then a much thicker base of that tinned fruit cocktail.

Finish: More guavas pushing through here, still coated in honey. Light bits of figs, and then some Sherry sweetness, raisins, stewed plums. Also kind of candied like candy corn and maltose candy. It's a long and subtle but fruity finish.

My Thoughts

Very nicely done SMAC and Amrut! This was a really solid pick - it was lovely having that rye pepperiness lightly overlay the bed of honey and tinned fruits! It was well-integrated between cask and spirit, mellowed and candied but not confectionary, a good amount of richness where it wasn't too decadent but neither was it light, with the fruits being just where I like 'em, neither artificial nor too fresh and subtle. It was quite a splendid surprise as its aromas began to open up and more and more of those guavas began to show - almost closely resembling some of the best Irish whiskies of old but here it's still very much its own identity. Also some complexity and evolution was to be had on the finish with some Sherry flavours kicking in. Nice gentle and long fruity finish too!

As they say in the local whisky scene, yum yum!

Kanpai!

@111hotpot