Amrut Madeira Finish

Rating: 19/23 Not sure I've ever had a madeira-finished whiskey before, so I don't know what to expect here, but it seems like an adventure! N: It has a tart, syrupy quality to it. I get some nice deep, bitter, spicy woodiness like from a nicely aged sherried whiskey. There's something a bit rich and slightly savory as well. The syrup has a nectar quality with orange and cherry notes like a nice cognac. It smells rich and nicely balanced. P: It tastes richer and fruitier than the regular Amrut Single Malt, but it tastes like it needs more aging. It reminds me a lot of a moderately youthful Glenfarclas, surprisingly. Aside from a more tropical (rather than chocolaty and spicy with dried dark fruits) flavor, it tastes something like a 15-18 year old Glenfarclas. It tastes a bit like sherry is covering up for whiskey that is still a bit too young for prime time and it just doesn't work at first, but then it starts to click and that sweet rich fullness comes through, making it taste like an older sherried whiskey, more in the vein of Glenfarclas 17. I get those cherry and orange flavors along with a spicy harshness and cereal flavor that betray the youthfulness. Still, there are some nice hints of mango and pineapple along with some rich coconut and it is quite a rich, tasty whiskey. F: It maintains that sort if sherry bomb profile, with the fruits lingering the longest, particularly the dark fruits. On the long finish, a little bit of coconut pops back out. This is it's actually very good. I'm thinking this is probably at least an 18 and could be as high as a 20. The Amrut Single Malt Cask Strength is more brash with some interesting 'I don't give a damn' complexity to it, whereas this is a more traditional and proper, smooth, kind of sherried dram. I'd better get out the Oban Little Bay to compare the sweet, whimsical fruitiness. This is a bit more enjoyable than the Oban. This is richer with a more hedonistic quality, whereas the Oban is a bit more mineral and light with some added but kind of playful complexity, as well as maybe a bit of sea spray. I slightly prefer this. I'd say that regular Amrut loses out slightly to both Oban Little Bay and Oban 14. Despite how good this is an how interesting it is that it has a nice oloroso presence, side-by-side, I have to say that I prefer the Amrut Fusion a little bit. It isn't a strong preference, but it is a preference. Considering that this costs more than twice as much, I don't think I'll be purchasing a bottle. I think that this is better than the regular strength regular Amrut. The regular Amrut tastes weak and immature in comparison, whereas this has a nice fruity boldness. The more I taste, the more various fruits come out. I really enjoy it. In direct comparison with Glenfarclas 105, the Glenfarclas is brash with all sorts of vegetal notes that are out of balance, while this tastes similarly rich, but also fairly refined and elegant. This is far superior. I'd put it a little above the Amrut Fusion, though not way above it. 19 seems about right, though it could be a 20. A damn fine whiskey, though of questionable value for the money.

info: une édition limitée de Amrut. Seulement 4800 bouteilles fut produire. Il s'agit en fait de la première édition de Amrut ayant un finish en Madeira. Le vin Madeira provient des îles de Madère situées dans l'océan Atlantique. Le vin lui-même est un vin portugais fortifié. Il remonte au 15ème siècle. On pense que ce vin est l’un des principaux acteurs du processus de maturation de fûts. Pour en revenir au Amrut Madeira, c'est un whisky riche et multiforme vieilli principalement dans des fûts d’ancien bourbon et une finale prolongée dans des fûts ex-Madeira provenant de coopératives familiales en Espagne et au Portugal. Un whisky fantastique embouteillé à 50% d’ABV. Nez: hyper sucré, sucre brun. Influence de rhum? Quelque chose de typique de la distillerie... un vieux pipe rouillé. Orange et caramel. Bouche: Texturé et sucré. Très influencé par le vin Madeira. Caramel écossais. Noisettes grillées. Très rond et facile à boire. Fruits de verger, miel, amandes... and it goes on and on... Pow wow! Final : La finale rappelle les fondements de Amrut. Des douces notes de miel et d'orange mûres confiturées complétées par une certaine amertume de chêne et de pamplemousse et une touche épicée. Overall: Excellent sipper! Vraiment! c'est un délice du début à la fin! J'avais de hautes attentes puisque j'avais lus sur ce whisky l'automne derniers et il se classait, selon l'article en question, parmi le top 10 d'automne 2018 avec d'autres grosses pointures (probablement le seul d'abordable avec le Booker's). Je ne peux pas croire qu'un amateur de whisky digne de ce nom pourrait bouder un tel produit. Certes pas un "unicorn" mais, il en vaut définitivement son prix. J'aime la distillerie Amrut même si je ne me lance pas systématiquement sur toute leur nouvelle sortie. Celle-là en est une bonne a avoir chez soi. Un bel exemple de ce que Amrut fait. J'adore! 91%

I'm definitely an Amrut fanboy. Most of these drams have allowed me to emerge from my earlier peaty visions of what spirits "should be"; Amrut, for me was, a gateway drug to fruit forward whiskey. The premium finishes from this distillery are very chewy, jammy, and overall yummy. This one is perfect for a cold or rainy day, this is even hard to reach past when it's 100 degrees. Strawberry jam, chocolate, chewable grape aspirin... are obvious flavors. The finish isn't as abrupt as some other whiskey personalities suggest, but it is incongruent from the rest of the dense experience. There's enough bitterness at the tail to keep me coming back for more of the jammy fruit at the beginning. The value and price is the only substantial knock. You'll probably like it but maybe not at the price; you'll love it if someone gets it for you as a gift :) 5.0 - go out and buy all of the stock you can find. 4.0 - must buy at least one bottle before you die. 3.0 - solid, must try at a bar, or mooch from a friend. 2.0 - didn't like it, you may. 1.0 - you may have the palate of my dog, and he licks his own ass.

I’m a huge fan of Amrut. Yes...India is a powerhouse when it comes to IT innovation and services, pharma R&D, and, of course, the movie industry Bollywood. And Amrut put its mark on the map for high quality single malt whiskey made with the subcontinent’s barley, water, and the Deccan desert heat. This one here is a one-off (unless of course it sells well, then who’s gonna deny some more profits from batch 2?). Madeira matured, a first for Amrut. The nose is the best part in this. A few drops of water brings out some dried fruit, hazelnuts, and surprisingly a floral element. Taste carries through with more of the same. What I don’t like though is the intense heat. It leaves you with a fire burning inside. Feels as if it truly could’ve benefited from a few more years in the barrel. The other thing I miss is the cardamom...I loved the cardamom I had in every Amrut I’ve had. I just assumed that was the Amrut calling card. If you’re a fan of Amrut, this is a must try, obviously. Others...hold off for a pour.

Nose - Caramel, creamy vanilla, ripe grilled pineapples, candied red berries, grilled bananas Taste - Lightly peppery sweet heat, caramel, grilled pineapples, sweet apple/pear juice, riesling/moscato reduction Finish - Lingering light sweet heat, fruity/syrupy white wine reduction, lightly drying Score - 90/100 Final Thoughts - This one is quite good and nicely balanced. It might be a bit on the sweet side for some, but I quite like the fruity notes I get on this one. It really complements the tropical vibe I get from the base spirit and it just all somehow works. A tiny bit of water softens the initial mouth burn/heat, but otherwise leaves the entire experience pretty much the same. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Yes Would I buy a bottle? - If I could get it for about $70-80USD

I had the good fortune to attend an Amrut tasting event tonight with one of the brand ambassadors at the Seven Grand whiskey bar in downtown Austin. I got to try five different expressions from Amrut over the course of the evening, plus some delightful punch made with their peated single malt. I got lots of notes of raisins, figs, and some baking spices from the barrel. The taste was almost sweet, and didn't bely the cask strength of this expression. The finish wasn't as long as I'd expect for a CS whisky. This one was unique to me. I've had plenty of sherry finishes, but not a lot of madeira finishes. I'd rank this #4 out of 5 pours for the evening, mostly because I'm not the biggest fan of wine finishes, but also because even if I had enjoyed this one more, it's very rare and most likely prohibitively expensive.