Amrut Peated Single Malt Whisky Review

By Debbie Shocair

Rating: A-

I have put in a lot of work on Amrut’s Indian single malts, and I’m happy to say that, taken as a whole, Amrut has far exceeded my expectations. This particular expression is one of their best. As there is no peated barley in India, Amrut sources it from Scotland, having it peated there to their specifications before being shipped to the distillery in India. The peat dissipates somewhat during the journey.

The peated barley is mashed, distilled, aged, and bottled at Amrut, and after spending around 6 years in used bourbon barrels, this peated single malt is diluted to 92 proof for bottling.

The Scotch
On the nose, this peated single malt was rife with citrus and peat—a sweeter sort than one might expect—as well as salt pork (how did that get there?!) and low notes of caramel.

Breaking it with ½ teaspoon of water brought the unusual savory notes to the forefront, followed by a grassiness, which, combined with the savory was almost like chives.

Though it was a hefty 92 proof, the mouthfeel was under the tongue, mostly.

The finish was sweet, heavy peated flavors emerging and fading like a show-stopping number before ending with a custard-sweetness at the back of the palate…and some banana. Surprisingly, the sweetness lingered on. Interestingly, the peat was not overpowered by the competitive smokiness, nor did it overpower any of the other interesting complexities.

The Price
Amrut peated Single Malt is sold in a lovely tin (so pretty!), and at around $70 it’s an absolute steal.