*Thanks to the good folks at Impex Beverages for the sample.

Part II of the two part look at the Amrut Peated malts…

The Nose: I never learn…”go ahead, stick your nose right in there, you idiot, burn off all your nose hairs”. When I see a high ABV on a bottle, it’s just like being in a restaurant when a server puts a plate in front of me and warns me “the plate is very hot”…the first thing I do, grab the plate. So, take it from me, the expert, when you get a high alcohol, cask strength dram, stick the schnozzola deep in there and take a big whiff. Then, with your eye’s watering, take a walk around the apartment, snort a bit, cough, maybe take a dirty t-shirt out of the laundry to see if you can still smell…anything. Then calmly return to your nosing glass, and continue tasting. That is the way to properly taste high-octane spirits, my friends…

…so, anyway, where was I…

The Nose: Smells like dirty t-shirts…no, I’m kidding, I KID…don’t believe it. Actually, the cask strength version of the Amrut Peated Indian Single Malt Whisky smells really wonderful. Fresh baked chocolate brownies and peat mingled with vanilla ice cream, a few citrus and melon hints. The smoke is more subtle and the rubbery, medicinal quality is as well, both being very honeyed and hiding a little behind the high alcohol, chocolate-y grain and peat.

The Palate: Smooth entry, the grain develops wonderfully, going from honey and cocoa notes to spicier, woodier, much more tannic, drying tones. The peat is there as well, adding a nice pungent quality along with some dry wood smoke, but it almost seems like it doesn’t know what to think about playing a close second fiddle to the grain and alcohol, it’s integrated well, but a little restrained.

The Finish: Whooooof, hot, spicy, smokey, peaty, and a lot of dryness, almost too much dryness, really.

Thoughts: I loved the nose of this one, and I loved the way it develops on the palate, it’s really impressive stuff…just falls a little short at the end for me.  For me, there’s just too strong of a drying quality to it which almost overpowers the rich, complex grain and peat notes that came before. It almost feels desiccated in a way…water…I need water…

Trying this with a little water, the nose softened, but there were still nice cocoa and peat notes with a bit more smoke, the palate develops in much the same way. The finish really benefits from a little water, it’s much more in control, nice ashy notes come through and the extreme dryness is tempered quite a bit. This one benefits from a bit of water, it’s interesting and has absolutely delicious aspects on its own, but it’s a much more balanced dram at the end with a little H2O.

Amrut Peated Indian Single Malt Whisky, Cask Strength

62.8% ABV

Score:  86