Peg yatra

The world of whiskies can be intimidating First came the purist who dropped a flavour chart upon usmdashitrsquos a highland with its fullbodied rich and fruity notes an Islay with its peaty punch a Speyside giving honeyed nuances with a spicy finish a floral from lowlands and a Campbeltown for being brinyThen the New World whiskies came from Japan Taiwan Canada Australia and even France making waves with their unique stylesFrom making whisky out of molasses to adopting Scottish traditions Indian whiskies have come of age pun intended and are leading the pack of New World whiskies They are doing exceptionally well as distillers showcase talent and unique terroir characteristics bagging awards on the global mapWhisky ambassador Ajit Balgi is proud that more Indian brands are found on foreign shelves and are acing at worldwide competitions PicAditi HaralkarRecent victories include IndriTrini Indiarsquos first triple cask single malt named Best lsquoNew Worldrsquo Whiskey by VinePair Godawan Indiarsquos first artisanal single malt receiving lsquoDistiller of the Yearrsquo lsquoSustainable Distillery of the Yearrsquo and lsquoCraft Producer of the Yearrsquo at Icons of Whisky India 2024 and Radico Khaitanrsquos Rampur Asava Indian Single Malt winning Best World Whisky at the 2023 John Barleycorn AwardsIn the 2000s when Ajit Balgi managed a bar in a fivestar hotel he received the weirdest request from a customer Blue Label and cold milk ldquoWhile I ensured the order was delivered I was bewildered as a young professional As I matured in the journey of beverages and life in general I understood one thing individual taste is paramountrdquo the founder of The Happy High Wine amp Spirit Consultancy Education amp Experiences in Ghatkopar tells usLike wine snobbery in India more than a decade ago the reign of single malts wears that crown today ldquoNamedropping and jargon can easily intimidate both seasoned whisky drinkers and novices Stick to your opinion and donrsquot enforce it upon othersrdquo says BalgiWe ask what a good whisky is only to get an unexpected response No whisky is better than the other ldquoEach whisky has a taker each whisky has a time of the day a mood a ritual and an intricate makeup for the connoisseur to savour You need to find the right pour for your moodmdasha sweet sherried nightcap a savoury one with a hint of saline from the coast or a smoky one for a cold eveningrdquo says BalgiThe tipping point of Indiarsquos educated whisky drinking arrived during the lockdown when people explored out of the known labels took online classes and became more discerning than ever ldquoWe stand as the number one Scotch market with the Irish the American and the Japanese trying to grab a share of that pie Indian brands are not only found on more foreign shelves but also topoftheclass in many competitions It can only grow from hererdquo says BalgiA whisky tasting is like meeting someone for the first time ldquoHello How are you Nice to meet yourdquo Rojita Tiwari Goregaonbased awardwinning drinks consultant judge and writer When you hold the glass in your hand take time to observe the colour swirl and nose Pay attention to what your senses are telling you ldquoDoes it smell appealing Is there a particular aroma that draws you inrdquo she encourages one to ask ldquoGet to know each other by communicatingrdquo says Tiwari who runs beverage consulting firm Drinks and Destinations Next take the glass close to your noseWhisky tasting is a process that must not be rushed into says beverage consultant Rojita Tiwari PICANURAG AHIREldquoMove it from one side of the nose to the other as your senses vary depending on the time of day This helps access the spirit in a much better way When you taste take small sips and let it coat your palate Notice the flavours that emerge How does it feel on your tonguerdquo Tiwarirsquos journey began in 2006 when she was Associate Editor ldquoMy idea about wines and spirits was limited With time I learnt that there was a technique to appreciating spiritsrdquo says Tiwari who went on to do her WSET level 3 in wine and level 2 in spiritsBy 2013 she was judging these competitions ldquoThe tasting is done blind Yoursquore only and only focused on the liquidrdquo says Tiwari Past the bourbons scotches and Japanese whiskies shersquos noticed a rising interest in New World Whiskies from places such as India Taiwan Australia Canada and France ldquoWhile all have the same approach to whisky making the provenance maturation climate angel share production techniques and even finishing in different casks set them apartWhisky tasting is a metaphor as we describe smells and tastes that are not there The process is evocative as these remind us of many old and forgotten thingsrdquo says Hyderabadbased retired banker Krishna Nukala whose curiosity led him onto the path of whisky tasting ldquoAround 2530 years ago whiskies in India were ordinaryrdquo says Nukala ldquoWe never knew anything apart from Johnnie Walker or Chivas Regal My exploration began in 1995 when I tried a Macallan 12yearold in New York Soon after during a foreign exchange training in Surrey Scotland I tasted a Lagavulin I cancelled my return ticket searched for Lagavulin Distillery in Islay and met Mike Nicholson the distillery manager My life has not been the same ever sincerdquoKrishna Nukala says India has topclass master distillers who are winning awards at international competitions most of them being blind tastingsAccording to him Indian distilleries have adopted the true Scottish traditions of whisky making which is why they are doing exceptionally well Ashok Chokkalingam Amrut Michael DrsquoSouza Paul John and Surrinder Kumar at Indri are topclass master distillers and the whiskies from these distilleries are constantly winning awards at almost all international competitions most of them sblind tastingsWhisky or whiskeyGrain spirits distilled in Ireland and the United States are lsquowhiskeyrsquo while lsquowhiskyrsquo refers to Scottish Canadian Japanese or Indian grain spirit