Amrut Spectrum 004

For my Review No. 600 i wanted to open one of my special bottles, and oh boy i had a great whisky. Amrut Spectrum 004 , inspired in James Bond (i have no idea why) is a 50%abv whisky from India that was matured for 3 years in ex bourbon casks to then be finished in a "Frankenstein" Cask, made of different oak staves: american white oak with level 3 charring, Ex Oloroso, french Oak with slight toasting and Ex Pedro Ximenez Sherry; the result: One of the best whiskies i have ever had. Bottled at 50%abv, you won't believe how dark red this dram is. The color is Burnt Umber. On the nose is just perfect, complex, powerful, lovely. Chocolate, Tropical fruits; naranjilla (lulo); a Coffee note that it is so beautiful!!!; Mocaccino coffee. A cherry that has been dipped in fondant from a coffee cake. Aroma on this dram is just out of this world. Sherriness from PX, those dark dried fruits. Some citrus emerging, naranjilla. Roasted coffee beans. Red fruits syrup. The most clean, magical chocolate fudge note ever. Recently baked brownies (even my wife said this was 100% there). I Cant stop nosing it. Chocolate butter also present. Aroma after taking the fist sip, reveal also an orange caramel thick syrup. This is great, so buttery. So amazing. On the palate it is also amazing. Orange chocolates. Amazing spiciness; Mineral spiciness. Thick caramel chocolate with pepper and wasabi, so freaking pleasant. Second sip gets even cleaner: Milka caramel chocolate. The spiciness is incredible. Third sip gives you a fancy thick caramel. Aftertaste is very rewarding. Oaky, smoky, sawdust, full finish.Very woody, but so well crafted. Dry. Winey; chocolate and chilli. Minerals, salty, earthy. Overall, this might be my favorite dram of 2020, for the 50%abv you don't get raw alcohol at all, this is powerful, this is tasty. I am really trying to find any flaw on this whisky, but there is none. Maybe the aftertaste is not perfect, but almost there. A great and solid 99 over 100, this will be on my top 10 of this year... and probably it will be on my all time top 10. Great Single Malt.

Nose - (w/o water) Sharp dark dried stone fruity sweet, chocolate covered orange zest, grilled pineapple, cognac, leather, dark raisins. (w/ water) Less bite, the dark dried stone fruits is still present but more rounded out. Taste - (w/o water) Hot hot white pepper heat, smoked sea salt dark caramel, caramelized figs, dark raisins, light fruity char, leather, sweet tobacco, faint hint of meaty smoke on back end, savory sweet smoked meat (w/ water) Heat tamed down while preserving all of the flavors, sweetness is tamed a bit. Finish - (w/o water) Lingering smoky meaty dark dried stone fruit savory meaty sweet, brine, grilled pineapple char, fading white pepper heat, leather, dark chocolate (w/ water) Less heat, leather disappears, more milk than dark chocolate. Score - 92/100 Final Thoughts - This is a very interesting dram for sure. The hybrid/monster of Frankenstein barrel really does wonders for the tropical spirit. On the nose, you get a blast of sharp sweets and it continues onto the palate. It could be me but it tastes like there's a very very small percentage of peated malt in this one in that I get this smoky savory sweet meat only on the palate. Like the previous Amrut malts that I've tried, it's a bit hot but a tiny bit of water really softens & opens it up nicely. Nice charred tropical fruit throughout with a good balance of sweet sherry influence. Not exactly an everyday drinker, but definitely a nice complex dessert dram for sure.

Oh my god, this has got to be one of the most complex whiskies I’ve ever tasted. It was incredibly hard to pin down any one flavor profile, yet strangely, it all seems to work in unison together. First of all, this is incredibly rare...about 1800 bottles in total produced, so I’m that much more thankful to @Richard-ModernDrinking for this sample...thanks Richard. The color is the first thing I noted...it’s like a bourbon, deep mahogany. Nose is a bit strange...a bit woody. But where it really shines is the palette. Now the whirlwind of flavors begin. A cask made of 4 different woods, you’d expect either an unholy mess, or a masterpiece. No middle ground. Fortunately, this is the latter. I’m not sure this is still available, but if it is, it’s a definite buy. Unique, ingenious, and pushing the envelope in creativity.

2021 Batch. Better than the first 004 batch, up there with the original 005 batch. Nose: Figs, Toffee, Cranberries, Blackberries, Honey, Gingerbread, Plums, Milk Chocolate, Raspberries, Luxardo Cherries, Dates, Vanilla, White Chocolate, Lavender Palate: Raisins, Figs, Dates, Sultanas, Ginger, Orange Peels, Plums, Mocha, Espresso, Blackberries, Treacle, Maple Syrup, Toffee, Salted Caramel, Stewed Red Apples, Cloves, Tobacco, Leather, Old Oak Finish: Mocha, Espresso, Tobacco, Dark Chocolate, Cloves, Red Chili Pepper, Old Oak, Dates, Prunes, Salted Caramel, Hazlenuts, Walnuts, Banana Bread

I tasted this at a whisky show last week and immediately made plans to acquire a bottle. The flavors on the palette change in waves, a phenomanon I've only encountered previously with Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix. I can't do full justice to its complexity without further tastings, which will follow as soon as I open my bottle, but wanted to encourage the fine members of this community to grab one if you can.

Rich, fragrant nose. Malt, sherry, walnuts. stings the nose a bit. Explodes on the palate, acidic burst of flavor. Loooong finish, all the elements stay on the tongue. Almost seltzer like. Strong sherry flavor, but a balancing maltiness as well. A must try for sherried scotch fans, this us like Macallan from concentrate. 5/15/19