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Many malt lovers will already be familiar with Japanese whisky but they may soon want to make room in their drinks cabinet for bottles from another country which is a long way from Speyside – India.

Indian single malt

With eighteen distilleries around the county, India’s John Distilleries is the sixth largest distillery company in the world, producing some 11 million cases of spirits a year. For years, the company has produced Original Choice, an economy whisky for its domestic market but, since last September, it has branched out into the malt market with Paul John Brilliance and Paul John Edited, two Indian single malt whiskies which are made from Indian barley in Goa.

Last Friday, master distiller Michael John was in Edinburgh to showcase his whiskies. They are remarkable drinks, not least because of the problems which have to be overcome before they can be bottled.

Thirsty angels

For example, the average temperature in Goa is around 30 degrees centigrade which has a pronounced effect on the spirit as it matures. In Scotland, distillers lose 2-3% of their spirit each year as it evaporates in the cask. In Goa, this angels’ share is closer to 13% each year.

As a result, both Brilliance and Edited spend just 4-5 years in the cask before being bottled. As John joked, they could bring out a ten-year-old but it would be in a tear-sized bottle.

Whisky Bible

It’s pointless to taste them and expect to drink something like a Scotch single malt but they are fascinating drinks in their own right. The Brilliance is is lightly spicy, sweet and with a subtle citrus nose. It would make a good aperitif.

The Edited is more complex with a tiny hint of peat and chocolate notes.

Jim Murray, the respected author of The Whisky Bible rates the Edited and Brilliance at  96.5 and 94.5 respectively.

Both malts can be bought from The Whisky Exchange for around £40.