Made In India: The Top Three Premium Whiskies Blended For You
There is no dearth of reasonably priced Indian whisky brands that offer more than anything else, a value-for-money experience to their consumers. On the other hand are whiskies that were created exclusively for the whisky lover that places quality and great taste above price. Premium whiskies in India are born out of a philosophy that considers the quality over price as the foundational principle of their existence.
Many premium whisky brands have thrived in India, while some have not. The heterogeneous nature of India’s whisky drinking populace has often been cited as a market where whisky brands from all segments can co-exist and prosper.
Prosper they have, and today, some of these premium Indian blends have established themselves as the trusted companions of millions of whisky lovers across the country. Having been made in India, they are the pinnacle of the whisky goodness among blends. Combining the qualities of Scotch malts with fine Indian grain whiskies, the premium whisky segment combines the best of both worlds at a modest price. These are our top three picks of the best premium whiskies blended in India starting with our top pick;
Blenders Pride Reserve Collection Whisky
This is by far our top recommendation for the superior premium blended whisky created in India. Blenders Pride Reserve Collection was first released in 2011 in India, and was the time the most expensive whisky produced in the country. Packaged in a stylish bottle designed by CARTILS, Blenders Pride Reserve Collection redefined luxury for Indian whiskies. At a time when most Indian whisky lovers looked to foreign brands for excellence and luxury, it was this Blenders Pride Reserve Collection that delivered a product with unmatched quality.
Super smooth, smoky and fruity, the whisky was created by blending imported Scotch malts from the Chivas Brothers with fine Indian grain whiskies, matured further using the Solera method. Most whisky drinkers in India prefer to take their whisky with water, soda and sometimes even neat. This has been one of the biggest reasons for the immense popularity of Blenders Pride Reserve Collection. Its smoothness without any loss of flavour is one of the biggest positive attributes for this premium Indian blend. After entering the Indian whisky market with a band, it has cemented its position atop the premium blended category with relative ease. Honestly, Blenders Pride Reserve Collection is a particular favourite among a lot of our team members at The Whiskypedia.
Peter Scot Malt Whisky
Peter Scot has been one of the most consistent performers in the Indian premium whisky segment since it first appeared in 1965. The brand has been a constant source of speculation and confusion regarding the brand’s true identity, with some taking the name ‘Scot’ and ‘Malt’ as proof that it was a Scotch whisky. Contrary to this belief, Peter Scot is nothing but a premium Indian blend from the house of Khoday India Limited.
Among Khoday India’s whisky brands, Peter Scot is the company’s most premium blended Indian whisky. Peter Scot is a placed in a segment with Blenders Pride Rare Premium, not Blenders Pride Reserve Collection which is slightly more premium, and has a higher price as compared to others. Like most Indian blends, Peter Scot is also a blend of imported Scotch malts and Indian grain whiskies. We believe it also contains some proportion of neutral spirit which allows it to be a cost-effective product. It is arguably one of the smoother Indian whiskies as compared to many other brands, and makes up for its lack of flavour very well. The Whiskypedia believes Peter Scot is a modest and reliable premium Indian whiskies.
Antiquity Blue
Our third pick for the top premium Indian whisky blends after Blenders Pride Reserve Collection and Peter Scot Malt Whisky is Antiquity Blue Ultra-Premium. This brand has been around since 1992, and has been a modest yet consistent success in the market. The Antiquity Rare, a slightly more premium version of Antiquity Blue, was the direct competition for Blenders Pride Reserve Collection but has since been discontinued.
Antiquity Blue might not be in the same price bracket as Blenders Pride Reserve Collection, but it is among the few premium Indian blends available today. The stylish blue coloured bottle, designed by Claessens International is well-known among Indian whisky drinkers. Although Antiquity Blue does not enjoy a wider appeal as the aforementioned brands, it is nevertheless a smooth drink. Loyalists of the brand enjoy its smoky and oaken tasting notes. Unlike the McDowell’s Signature Premium whisky, which is placed in the segment below Antiquity Blue, the latter has a more subtle smoky influence instead. A soft, yet discernible acetone finish is common in both McDowell’s Signature Premium whisky and Antiquity Blue Ultra Premium whisky. Opinions regarding Antiquity Blue were divided within The Whiskypedia team too, but we think it deserves a spot on this list.
What are your thoughts about our list of the most premium made in India whisky blends? Are Blenders Pride Reserve Collection, Peter Scot Malt whisky and Antiquity Blue Ultra-Premium part of your list?
Women's Day and Whisky
We can pretend all we want that men and women are treated equally in society but in reality, the truth is very far from it. Given that a few decades ago it was worse and education has alleviated the situation a bit, but ask yourself, has it really made a huge difference in the lives of women across the world? It may be hard to eradicate century-old practices and beliefs that feed misogyny, patriarchy, and violence but it would be great if things moved faster. For instance, ask any woman the number of times bartenders have assumed they’d order anything but whisky-- maybe whisky-based cocktails at most, but no way can she order whisky on the rocks. Well, here’s bursting that bubble—she can. Women can like any liquor and whisky is in no way an exception. It’s not a man’s drink. On this Women’s Day, let us abandon such false notions.
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