This is a shock to Scotland… Malt Advocate Magazine has named Amrut Fusion, a single malt whisky produced in Bangalore, the ‘World Whisky of the Year’.
“India’s Amrut distillery changed the way many think of Indian whisky — that it was just cheap Scotch whisky blended with who knows what and sold as Indian whisky. Amrut is making whisky, and it’s very good. Also, because of India’s very warm climate, the whisky matures very quickly, making it relatively affordable. Indeed, the Amrut whisky being sold in the U.S. (while bearing no age statement) is generally not over six years old.” – from Malt Advocate
Amrut Fusion, priced at about $60, bears no age statement, but it doesn’t contain whisky aged more than six years. Aging in second-fill casks in India speeds maturation because of the warm climate. The Amrut whiskies are made from a combination of Indian malted barley and peated Scottish malt.