John Distilleries launches Indian single malts in UK

India’s John Distilleries has announced the global launch of two Indian single malt whiskies in the UK.

The producer of Original Choice whisky, which sells 10 million cases a year in India, is forging a name for Indian whisky in Europe with the release of its first single malts.

Paul John Brilliance is a 46% abv bottling of a non-peated single malt using barley grown in the north of India, that’s aged in ex-Bourbon barrels for a light, fruity flavour with hints of honey and spice.

The distillery’s second single malt, Paul John Edited, is a 46% abv expression featuring around 15% peated whisky – made using Islay-sourced peat – which has richer chocolate, vanilla and molasses notes.

Aged at its coastal distillery in Goa, South India, where the annual evaporation rate is around 13%, the whiskies are no older than four or five years on average.

Having released its single cask bottlings in the UK at the end of 2012, John Distilleries, the sixth largest distiller in the world, chose the UK as the launch country for its single malts as part of a strategy to introduce Indian whisky to Europe.

As such, Sanjay Paul, executive vice president of overseas operations, told The Spirits Business that 50% of the volume produced will be destined for UK shores, which he describes as “the Scot’s back yard”.

Both expressions will be launching in India simultaneously, although the group will not be concentrating on its home turf as a core market. Distribution is likely to come to the US and Canada next year, along with other core global markets such as Scandinavia and Germany.

Although admitting the group “came in the wrong way round” by launching its single casks first, John Distilleries intends to follow up the release of Brilliance and Edited with more single casks every 18 months.