Here at Fib Whisky, we have developed a love of all whiskies! Not just single malt, not just Scotch. One of our favourite of the many amazing international producers out there are Amrut Distillers, who we consider good friends. Based over in Bangalore, Amrut were one of the first to bring the beauty of Indian whisky to an international audience. Known not only for their exceptionally, but also the firm commitment to innovation, Amrut’s first and perhaps most popular release was Fusion, combining both Indian barley and Scottish peated barley to make an incredible dram. They’ve done other incredible things since that, which I'm sure we will highlight in the coming months. A little over a year ago saw the 10th anniversary of the release of Fusion, celebrated with this special Fusion X, aged a further 4 years in PX sherry barrels and released in part to commemorate late chairman Neelakanta Rao Jagdale. Bear in mind, in the heat of the Indian climate, wood interactions are faster, so one years maturation is equivalent to 2 to 3 years in Scotch.
The palate starts very fruity, mainly ripe, juicy dates and a bit of fig. There is a light and subtle hint of milk chocolate towards the centre, all surrounded by a raft of beautiful, fresh spices - good quality fresh bark cinnamon particularly, alongside star anise, a woodier spice and maybe a little cardamom. The way the spice combines with the fig notes, fresh green fig, is wonderful, and that fruity, spiced note lasts well into the medium-long, slightly drying beauty of the finish. A much lighter dram than you would maybe expect for the years of PX influence, this is beautifully balanced rather than a sherry bomb, with beautiful hints of subtle saffron strands interlacing the spicy network of the whole. Some sweet, almost chewy notes also start to come through of cooked, jammy apricots as the dram develops, with some brown sugars and a little dark cocoa subtly worked in. There are also a few woody hints alongside the spice and fruit. Perfectly balanced and integrated - another incredible whisky from Amrut. It is an excellent celebration of Fusion and this wonderful distillery that we hope to be able to work closely with in future. Slàinte!
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