Amrut Fusion
Indian Single Malt | 50% ABV
Score: 7/10
Very Good Indeed.
TL;DR
One of the best flavour vs price options out there
Munching on orange biscotti in a leather chair
I love flavour and the chase of flavour. I’ve always been a fan of varying flavours and textures in food. My childhood meals were always quite plain and uninspiring although they served the purpose of shovelling a metric ton of calories into growing boys who worked on a farm and mechanic’s garage when not playing after-school sports.
My brother and I were proverbial calorie blast furnaces. As fast as you could shovel it in, we had burnt it and were looking for more. Now I’m a parent of two myself with my oldest being nearly five, I’m frankly scared of the teenage calorie burn that might be in my future.
So after leaving the nest, my culinary streak was stoked and the flavour chase was on. The technical side in me dove deep into the science of cooking and flavour development, whether through the Maillard reaction, fermentation, or other sensory balancing tricks that we can play to maximise a dish.
Fast forward to now, and I’ve shot myself in the foot. My wife, whom I love dearly, can’t cook and is frankly frustrated I don’t cook or bake with recipes anymore. Sure, there might be some flavour drift between meals but that’s the fun of it. Because I haven’t written anything down, nor do I care to, she can’t duplicate anything, relegating me to the vast majority of cooking duties, for which I’m wholly okay with.
The aforementioned dismemberment comes into play where going out for dinner is no longer a flavour event as I’m routinely informed that what I make at home is similar or better to what we can get at mid-level restaurants. It’s a bit of a feather in my cap but it does mean my future date nights, when we can get a babysitter and the kids aren’t sick that is, are more selective, focussing in on restaurants that are doing something entirely new or unique in the flavour department - often associated with a hefty price tag or a long wait list, or both.
This flavour chase also comes into my whisky purchasing habits. I was recently out with some friends for a few drinks and some much-needed catch-up. Knowing I write whisky reviews and have an ever-growing collection, it didn’t take long for someone to ask the existential crisis question: “What’s your favourite whisky?” I took a few seconds to think about this most innocent and logical question and was stumped. I was dumbfounded about my numb tongue and blank synapses. I couldn’t pick out a single distillery. I definitely have favourite flavour profiles but I’m always up for trying anything.
Such has been my trajectory of the last few years, buying up bottles and releases for all manner of distilleries around the world, all in the name of chasing flavour. If I was quick enough that evening, my retort should have been: “My next favourite will be the next whisky I buy,” but alas, my sleep-addled brain was not as sharp as it should have been.
So when I was prowling for my next flavour experiences, a local whisky store was hosting a tasting covering a range of Amrut’s whiskies. The quick bio of Amrut’s distillery immediately piqued my interest and I began the digital flavour hunt for available bottles in my area. Unfortunately it was an in-person tasting and I was the lone adult home that evening to watch the kids so I missed out. However, I settled on their Fusion release based on the general consensus of quality, but they do have quite a range of products available. The Fusion is a vatting of approximately 25% peated Scottish two-row malted barley and 75% unpeated Indian six-row malted barley. When each spirit is nearing the optimal bottling point, the two are vatted together and left to further integrate in used bourbon casks for six-nine months before bottling at a generous 50% ABV. Just like the name says, it truly is a fusion of Scottish and Indian ingredients.
Now for a bit of a synopsis on Amrut as I found several of their geographic and production factoids interesting. Amrut is situated in Bangalor, a bustling city that experiences a winter temperature of 17ºC while summer can reach 32ºC - while at 3,000 feet above sea level. It’s also a dry climate with limited rainfall, providing a significantly different and rapid maturation than the ubiquitous Scottish or Irish whiskies. It’s been reported that Amrut’s spirit roughly peaks in quality around four years after which the wood becomes more dominant. The hot temperatures and dry climates also yields an astonishing 11% ‘angel’s share’ however the dry climate means that most of the volume loss is water rather than the previous alcohol.
To make their whisky in this climate, water-cooled jacketed fermenters keep the bubbling yeast and malted barley from going above 28ºC and killing off the necessary sugar-to-alcohol conversion. The six 10,000 litre fermenters are left to run for six full days (144 hours) before the wort is pumped into a 5,000 litre semi-conical wash still for a 14 hour distillation. This is quite a slow distillation time compared to standard industry practice, allowing more copper contact and reflux before the final distillation. And one last little factoid that shows how much care the folks at Amrut are caring about their products: Given the varying quality of water, Amrut has taken the expensive route of trucking water from a well located 15 miles away in a pesticide-free agricultural area, ensuring the water used in the wash is of high quality and the final bottling dilutions are consistent and tasty.
Review
Amrut Fusion, Batch 103, Official bottling, 50% ABV
£55 (Paid CAD$65 / £44)
Nose
It’s a very pleasant nose that hides the ABV well. If doing this blind, I would wager this might have an alcoholic prickle similar to 43%.
Orange zest, fresh almond biscotti, leather armchair. With significant time in the glass, as much as I detest the descriptor, fruitcake appears with proper candied orange peel dotted throughout. Slight musty earthiness that doesn’t intrude but rather provides the atmosphere within the imaginary room you enjoy this delectable beverage.
With water: Some savoury elements jump out, including the peat. Balsamic vinegar reduction, soy sauce, brown sugar, and a rich peat are anchored into more typical sherry-type notes. The bright and alive orange citrusy-type notes morph into a caramelised version of themselves. Without water is my favourite but both are good.
Palate
Slightly syrupy and all about the fruits out of the gate. Perfectly ripe mangos, peaches in date syrup, raisins, brown sugar, and vanilla lead the experience. A dry peat tang appears halfway through which morphs into a more bitter barrel char note with a small dash of pepper at the end, providing that extra little bit of depth after the initial tidal wave of fruit. It’s very balanced and integrated and noticeably drinks easier than the ABV would suggest. The finish is medium in length with the peppery tingle anchoring the peaty tang, brown sugar, and vanilla notes.
With water: As expected, the peat now joins the experience earlier. The mango and peach fruit notes are reduced while the dry peat and barrel char notes are amped up. There is very little pepper bite with water. Retronasal reminds me of an orange and vanilla sherbet of all things. The finish is medium-short and consists primarily of orange zest and the peat tang. Quite moreish.
For some, the addition of water might bring the whisky more into balance but for me, I enjoy the duality of the neat version, providing distinct but well integrated differentiation between fruit and peat.
The Dregs
It’s a banger. Go buy it and you won’t regret it, especially if you get it at a good price. It’s earned a permanent place on my shelf and because it’s a core range bottling, I don’t have to worry about the bottle chase FOMO issues with indies or single cask releases. That is an immense source of relief as 3/4 of my purchases are independent bottlers and single cask or very small batch vattings. By the time I crack the whisky and give it time to unfurl, these whiskies are often sold out, driving me mad when I connect with something nearing magical but the shelves are empty.
Fusion’s price is perfectly situated and in some aspects, does present quite a good value purchase for the experience. Get out of your scotch lane and visit some alternatives. We visit different places for vacations or work, seeking out different experiences to broaden our horizon so why not do the same with your favourite beverage?
Score: 7/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. BB
-
Dramface is free.
Its fierce independence and community-focused content is funded by that same community. We don’t do ads, sponsorships or paid-for content. If you like what we do you can support us by becoming a Dramface member for the price of a magazine.
However, if you’ve found a particular article valuable, you also have the option to make a direct donation to the writer, here: buy me a dram - you’d make their day. Thank you.
For more on Dramface and our funding read our about page here.
Other opinions on this:
Got a link to a reliable review? Tell us.
