Amrut Fusion

Bangalore, India

Its exciting to see distilleries from other countries producing great malt whiskies and India's Amrut certainly deserves accolades for Fusion, as well as several other of its single malt products.

Indian malt from Punjab and Rajasthan and peated malt from Scotland are mashed, distilled separately. They are then matured separately in American Oak barrels until their peak at somewhere less than 4 years. Finally, the peated and unpeated spirits are combined to be finished in ex-bourbon barrels for another 3 to 6 months. Accelerated maturation in India due to altitude and hot weather produce a rich spirit that belies its young age.

Age:  No Age Statement

Color: Gold

Nose: Apricot and vanilla sweetness with slight oak and a flowery pineapple nose.

Body: Silky mouth feel.

Palate:  Fruit forward like its aroma. Sweet spice such as ginger and peppery sting fading to dark chocolate. Peat is faintly present but offers more to the overall depth than any specific flavor notes.

Finish:  Long finish.

ABV:  50%

Awards:  97 points in Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2010 and award of "Third Finest Whisky of the Year"., Malt Advocate's winner of top World Whisky 2011

SUGGESTED CHOCOLATE PAIRING

Chuao - Dark Grignottine 

Dark chocolate is a must with this pairing. This fruit forward malt demands a confection that will complement but not compete and dark grignottine fits the bill perfectly. The caramelized orange peel lends just the right fruity goodness without being too sweet, while the crunchiness of the almonds and pistachio slivers provide a great textural counterpoint to the silkiness of this dram.

SUGGESTED CIGAR PAIRING

Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 Churchill

The spice and chocolate notes of Fusion are captured and amplified by this cigar. Rich earthy notes of oak & almond roll off the tongue then transition to deeper flavors of dark roasted expresso and chocolate.