In an exclusive partnership with The Cask Circle, Pune’s most discriminating whisky connoisseur community, Paul John Indian Single Malt Whisky has announced the release of AArambh, a single cask release in India. bottled at 50% ABV, finished in another rare bourbon cask, and drawn only from Single Cask #20523. There are only 180 bottles of the copper-colored single malt available, and its uniqueness speaks for itself. It is one of the rarest launches by an Indian whisky brand, with every bottle claimed before the spirit was even bottled.

AArambh comes with a different mindset in a market where labels, rarity claims, and collectability are becoming more and more important. A bold and thoughtful step forward in India’s changing whisky culture, Arambh is an independently chosen single cask whisky from John Distilleries, the producers of Paul John Indian Single Malt Whisky.

Distilled in November 2017 at John Distilleries in Goa, Single Cask #20523 is an unpeated single malt that was matured in two ex-bourbon casks—an initial cask and a finishing cask—before being bottled in 750ml bottles. Because it is bottled as a true single cask expression, the spirit’s complete, unadulterated character is preserved just as it came out of the barrel. Apple pie, oak, vanilla, and orange blossom honey greet the nose. The finish lingers with tropical fruit, malt, and milk chocolate, while the palate reveals notes of caramel pudding, cinnamon, sweet oak, and vanilla.

India’s whisky culture is undoubtedly changing at the moment AArambh arrives. In addition to Tier 1 cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore, whisky clubs and tasting communities are growing in Tier 2 cities like Pune, Hyderabad, and Chennai. Whisky is being taken more seriously by a new generation of enthusiasts.

At the forefront of creating this culture has been Paul John’s single-cask program, now in its eighth release in India, alongside its duty-free releases. It has quietly developed a collector community that has been prepared for AArambh, with each release selling out. The community of collectors who recognize that the captivating tales of Indian whisky are told one cask at a time rather than in large quantities has grown with each release.

Priyanka Dutta