I’ve been looking for a bottle of Rampur for a while. It’s a whisky I encountered a little over a year ago at a “bring a bottle” whisky night and I immediately wanted to review it. I’ll admit, my palate had been a little dulled by the time I tried it, thanks to Woodford Reserve, Bulleit Bourbon, Evan Williams, Colonel E.H. Taylor, Wild Turkey, Buffalo Trace, and my own offering, Clynelish 14-year-old (as you can probably tell, most of the other guests were American). Despite, or perhaps because of, the fairly large quantity of spirits consumed, we begrudgingly agreed that this Indian offering was the champion. I’ve been wanting to write this review since then.

Rampur Double Cask

Indian Single Malt Whisky produced by Radico Khaitan Ltd in Uttar Pradesh

45% ABV, matured in bourbon and sherry casks

No age statement

Non-chill filtered. No indication on use of colouring

£60 (Amazon – occasionally available for lower prices)

Nose: The nose is fruity and jammy – raspberry, cherry, blackberry, and blackcurrant, accompanied by vanilla and cinnamon. The casks’ influence can be found in raisins and a slight oakiness. There is also a small selection of sweet treats on display, including fizzy cola bottle and giant strawberry sweets, and honey roasted cashew nuts.

Palate: Some of the fruit from the nose carries through to the palate, with cherry, rasin, and raspberry making their presence known. There is a delightful, sweet creaminess: oaty porridge laced with honey. More sweetness comes through as cherry coke, marzipan, and maraschino cherry. The spice continues with pepper and vanilla, and there’s a touch of tobacco leaf and oak.

Finish: A balance of sweetness – vanilla custard and bakewell tart – with a slight metallic bitterness. Medium.

Opinion:. My first impression, a year ago, was that the whisky’s flavour profile was dominated by notes from the still rather than its casks, while not having the harshness I’d expected. I’d probably not stand by this comment – my palate had taken a severe hammering already that evening. However, I’ll maintain that the Rampur Double Cask is a really pleasant surprise. Its nose and palate have a great depth and complexity.

Rampur Double Cask’s aromas and flavours are all, individually, familiar, but have combined in a way that makes this dram quite novel without being too challenging for someone used to Scottish or Irish fare, particularly once sipped. If I have one complaint, it’s that the palate is a little more conventional than the nose. The palate is far from disappointing, but I do feel that the nose teases some notes which, if they had carried across to the palate, could make for a truly exceptional dram.

Between Rampur and Amrut, we’re starting to see that Indian whisky isn’t just a curiosity – it needs to be taken very seriously. It makes sense though: with a total market volume of 3.3 billion litres, India’s appetite for whisky is immense. High quality local whisky enables consumers to avoid import tariffs or the risk of counterfeited foreign brands. Refreshingly, this isn’t being done by trying to replicate a Scottish or Irish whisky, but by creating new Indian styles, which compete well on their own merits.

There are two reasons I’d recommend buying a bottle of Rampur’s Double Cask. Firstly, with Indian whisky remaining relatively uncommon on this side of the globe, it’s something different enough to be interesting, both for its origins and flavour profile. Secondly, having attracted your attention by being unusual, it keeps you coming back for another glass by being rather good. I have found that it benefits from a bit of oxygen, opening up more the longer it’s in your glass. Maybe this is just my excuse for pouring large, slow-to-finish drams. Will I buy another bottle? Eventually, probably – but I’ll be trying to track down the rest of Rampur’s range to try first.

7/10