Connoisseurs of premium whiskies in India seem to be increasingly savouring the local provenance and distinctive character of Indian single malts over the top Scotch brands.
Connoisseurs of premium whiskies in India seem to be increasingly savouring the local provenance and distinctive character of Indian single malts over the top Scotch brands. Indri, the four-year-old brand from Haryana-based Piccadily Agro industries, outsold famed Speyside whisky Glenlivet, as well as Glenfiddich, to emerge as the top-selling single malt in India last year. The list also includes local brands Paul John, Rampur and Amrut Premium among the first six by sales, according to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis.
Also, for the first time on record, local sales of Indian single malts surpassed imports from Scotland in 2024, shows the latest IWSR report.
“There is certainly a shift from other world whiskies to Indian single malts with increasing acceptance of the local whisky that offers quality liquid at a relatively lower price,” said Praveen Malviya, chief executive, Piccadily Agro.
Demand for Indri has outstripped supply, Malviya said. The brand boosted growth in the Indian single malt segment, which expanded significantly, even as the growth of international whisky brands tapered off, he said.
A single malt whisky is made from malted barley, distilled at a single distillery and is prized for its unique taste. Indians now have a wide selection of locally made brands to choose from, and several of these are more affordable than the imports.
Amrut and Paul John were the first Indian single malt brands, launched in the 2000s. In the past three to four years, though, the market has seen a flurry of new single malt distillers, such as Piccadily, as well as global liquor companies like Pernod Ricard and Diageo that added their own Indian brands such as Longitude 77 and Godawan.
Domestic liquor makers have also launched single malt brands, such as Radico Khaitan’s Rampur single malt.
For decades, the success of the single malt whisky has been closely tied to perceptions about age, quality and price — the older the better, and more expensive. Indian single malts, however, don’t carry age statements because of local climatic conditions. In Scotland, for instance, the evaporation during barrel ageing — known as the angels’ share — is 2-3% a year, while in the heat of India, it is commonly more than 10%.
Most Indian single malts, therefore, have an optimum maturation of five to eight years.
Companies said maturation isn’t crucial anymore.
“A lot of consumers want to experiment with malts and globally, age statement is taking a bit of a backseat. As a result, any market-leading brand will have a combination of both age and non-age malts and it will also depend on the uniqueness, whether it’s from the nose, the palate and mouthfeel, whether it’s smoky or sweet,” said Alok Gupta, chief executive of Allied Blenders that sells Arthaus Collective whisky and is setting up a single malt distillery. “So, a lot of whiskey lovers are constantly look for newer tasting notes.”
