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History In A Bottle Day 13: Two Amrut KWM Casks

Posted on December 15, 2022

This post is Bonus Content. It has information on one of the KWM Cask bottles that are featured on the back of our 2022 KWM Whisky Calendar box. You can find the blog post for the mini bottle for Day Thirteen of our Whisky Calendar here.

by Andrew

Over the years we have bottled 3 KWM exclusive single casks of Amrut; one of which is currently on the water, somewhere between India and Canada. The ETA for our Port Cask Matured Amrut is March/April, but you never can be sure of that these days.

Our first Amrut KWM Cask was a 6-year-old, finished in a virgin oak cask. Distilled in 2010, it was at the time one of the oldest Amruts to come to Canada, and it was thick, decadent and very fruity. It packed a punch too, at 60%. But that was not its cask strength, Amrut routinely dilutes whiskies above 60%, to keep them from falling victim to an insane export tax. If I could sum up this whisky with one descriptor it could be cola cubes.

For those who are curious, our second KWM exclusive Amrut was a Jaggery Rum Cask, personally selected for us by our friend Ashok. At the time it was the only Amrut matured in a Jaggery Rum cask that the distillery had ever bottled. Both Evan and my tasting notes survive for this one.

Amrut 2010 KWM Virgin Oak Cask 891

It has taken nearly 15 months, but our first exclusive Amrut cask is finally here. Bottled at 60% after finishing in a Virgin oak cask, this 2010 vintage 6-year-old whisky is one of the oldest Amruts ever to come to Canada (excepting the Greedy Angels). Only 94 bottles came from the cask, and just 90 of those found their way to Canada. The colour is massively dark and all-natural.

Andrew's Tasting Note

Nose: massive, big molasses notes, enormous spices and rough leather notes; under the beastly virgin oak notes there are some tropical and citrus fruits; heavy candied orange, barely ripe cantaloupe, green mango, cola cubes and Demerara sugars; the spices cross the gamut from light and decadent to heavy and dark.

Palate: enormous cola notes hit before the whisky is even on the tongue: cola cubes, 1608 Cola, light maple syrup and both Demerara and moist brown sugar; the fruits are still there, struggling under waves of vanilla, sugars and building spices; more cantaloupe (especially into the finish), waxy mango and candied orange; the spices are more restrained on the palate than the nose reminding me of a classic Old Fashioned cocktail.

Finish: long, seemingly never-ending... the sugars, cola, vanilla and maple syrup notes linger long; the gentle wood and spices even longer; the fruits are there but just an accent.

Comment: wow, this is the most decadent Amrut I've ever had; big sugars, bright fruits and the cola notes... this one won't last long once people get a chance to sample it!

Amrut KWM Jaggery Rum Cask 317 60%

Amrut Cask #317 was originally filled on October of 2009. The cask is an ex-Rum (called 'jaggery' rum). Bottled at more than 8 and a half years of age in July of 2018 at 60% ABV. 180 bottles in total, with less than 40 bottles remaining. This Amrut is unpeated.

Andrew's Tasting Note

Nose: sticky, stewed prunes, damp dunnage warehouse tones and walking in an orange grove; thick with burnt molasses, ginger snaps and Panda brand licorice; Jujubes, Winegums and Fruit & Nut chocolate.

Palate: sweet, thick and coating; a silky, decadent and layered beast; a massive surge of honey, caramel and chocolate; full of bright sweet orange and citrus tones; Jellybellies, Winegums, Jujubes and Starburst fruit candies all shoved into your mouth at once; firm oak and earthy dunnage/orchard notes; more ginger and licorice too; thick and layered.

Finish: long, elegant and sultry; it fades into sweet citrus and floral notes, but it never really disappears at all. 

Comment: this is as gentle and giant, and as tame a beast as you could possibly expect; it is bold and sweet, but also very layered, elegant and complex; unmistakeably Amrut, and dangerously drinkable at 60%!  

Evan's Tasting Note

Nose: Big rum hints abound in this single malt. Licorice, orange oil and leather notes along with polished wood, ripe citrus, peaches and mangos, cinnamon, nutmeg, and other savoury spices, rich tobacco, and vanilla. Heavily steeped rooibos tea.

Palate: Big, rich, and unctuous on the tongue spice and sweet battle it out. And I mean rich - to the point of both feeling and tasting like a sweet and savoury reduction. Kind of like you mixed marmalade in with your chutney - or vice versa if that is your thing. Lots of both fresh and dried fruit notes, earl grey tea, wood spices and savoury notes with a sweet tang holding its own through it all.

Finish: The spice and sweetness linger for quite a while on this warming dram. It is big and rich and unmistakably Amrut in profile. I can't think of another distillery that creates this combination of spice and tang in the same way.

Comments: Ex-Rum cask Amrut at 8+ years old is amazing. This may be vastly different in style compared to our Virgin Oak cask Amrut from a few years ago, but it is just as rich, big and bold. That High strength Amrut battle between sweet and spice is always a thing to behold!

Andrew Ferguson

Owner

Kensington Wine Market

This entry was posted in Whisky, Whisky Calendars, KWM Whisky Calendar 2022, KWM Single Cask

 

 

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