Amrut is a distillery I’ve not tried, and I have heard pretty mixed reviews, so I was eager to try this. Neidhal is their first Single Malts of India release, which I saw described as sourcing hidden gems from around India and perfecting them at Amrut. So is this truly an Amrut? No idea. The distillery’s Wikipedia page has some cool history and production notes, but I’m not getting into it here since it’s not even clear it’s distilled by Amrut.
Whisky: Amrut Neidhal, Single Malts of India
Country/Region: India
Cask: Unknown
ABV: 46%
I went into this with pretty low expectations, and I gotta say the nose immediately lifted those expectations. Big waft of peat and ocean, on the mustier side with old driftwood. The smell is a bit sweet with vanilla, a touch of orange, and maybe some mango.
The palate was solid as well. The peat is not as dominant and the maritime note goes to the backseat. The orange and mango comes out much more, sweet and smooth. Smoky. On the transition to the finish, I pick up papaya and its kind of off, funky flavor. All the notes play nicely to close it out, well-composed if a little tart.
Overall, this was pretty dang solid and a pleasant surprise. A bit better than middle of the road. Definitely enjoyable.
Score: 3.5 / 5
Mental Image: Tropical charred driftwood.