Review: Paul John Nirvana Indian Single Malt Whisky

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Free sample bottled provided by Paul John.

AT A GLANCE

• Distilled & Owned by: John Distilleries in Goa, India.

• Still Type: Pot Still

• Spirit Type: Indian Single Malt Whisky

• Age Statement: NAS

• Strength: 40% ABV

• Price: $30-$40

Since 2012, Paul John has offered three core single malts and a number of limited expressions, but in April 2019, they added Nirvana as the fourth member of their core range. Nirvana is an unpeated Indian single malt whisky made from a blend of second and third fill bourbon barrels that have aged for a minimum of three year before being bottled at 40% ABV.

Paul John whiskies are made at the John Distilleries in Goa, on the west coast of India. And, from 1992 until 2012 ,Paul John only sold what is known as Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) which are column still cane spirits designed to mimic international liquors such as blended Scotch. IMFLs are incredibly popular in their home market and John Distilleries flagship brand Original Choice is the 7th best selling whisky in the world with more than 11 million cases sold in 2018.

However, Paul John’s Nirvana is made like their other single malts, starting with six row barley grown in northern Indian. Single Malt Scotch is almost exclusively made from two row barley because is has a higher starch content, which results in more alcohol. But Paul John believes that the higher fiber and protein content of the six row barley helps create the fruity, floral and honey ester charters found in their whiskies. Once the barley is malted and fermented, it is distilled twice in large copper pot stills: first in the 12,000 liter wash still and then again in the 6,000 liter spirit still.

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Image from Paul John

After distillation the malt spirit is aged in one of Paul John’s two barrel warehouses. A 4000 barrel underground warehouse, which due to the cooler temperature and lower humidity, slows the maturation and the lost angel’s share. And a 6000 barrel above ground warehouse which is exposed for greater temperature fluctuations and higher humidity which speeds up maturation and causes the barrels to lose more alcohol. Having two warehouses with two different climates give Paul John a wide range of flavors that can be blended to produce different expressions.

TASTING NOTES

Nose: The nose is a fantastic combination of yeasty malt and tropical fruits. As you enjoy the aroma there are notes of pineapple, light honey, ripe green pears, and gram cracker. It is a beautiful aroma that lingers in the glass and meant to be enjoyed.

Palate: When you first take a sip, the whisky is very bright and crisp on the tongue similar to a minerally chardonnay. Mid palate you notice flavors of passion fruit and honeysuckle as well as light tannins from the oak barrels.

Finish: On the finish, the whisky lingers on your tongue with warm notes of malt, honey gram cracker, and under ripe banana with just a hint of oak.

Conclusion: Overall Paul John Nirvana is a wonderful single malt that is light, bright, fruity and exudes vitality. From the fist sip I was completely enamored with this whisky and I am blown away at how affordable it is for the quality of the whisky. If you like malt whisky and have been looking for a great everyday kind of single malt that tastes great and won’t kill your wallet, Nirvana is it. At only $30 a bottle this is a great single malt that can be sipped neat, or makes a fantastic Highball.

Review: Paul John Kanya Indian Single Malt Whisky

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Free sample bottled provided by Paul John.

AT A GLANCE

• Distilled & Owned by: John Distilleries in Goa, India.

• Still Type: Pot Still

• Spirit Type: Indian Single Malt Whisky

• Age Statement: 7 Years

• Strength: 50% ABV

• Price: $200-$350

In 1996, Mr. Paul P. John founded John Distilleries in Goa, on the west coast of India. Their flagship brand, Original Choice was created for the Indian market and in 2018, it was the 7th best selling whisky in the world with more than 11 million cases sold. While John was living in the US, he discovered single malt whiskies and decided to make his own.

In 2008, John completed the instillation of his pot stills and began distilling malt spirit from six row barley grown north Indian foothills of the Himalayas. Situated on the eastern edge of the Arabian Sea, Goa is known for having both high temperatures and high humidity. To better manage the maturation of the whisky John set up two separate barrel warehouses. A 4000 barrel underground warehouse slows the whisky’s maturation and lost angel’s share because it is both cooler and less humid. While the 6000 barrels in the above ground warehouse are expose to the heat and humidity of Goa, which speeds up maturation and causes the barrels to lose more alcohol. The result is a wide range of barrels that can be blended to produce different expressions. In 2012, John and master distiller Michael D’Souza launched “Brilliance”, an un-peated non-chill filtered Indian single malt whisky. Today Paul John produces three core single malts and a number of limited expressions.

In 2017, Paul John launched their zodiac series of limited release whiskies named and blended to match the characteristic features of the Indian zodiac. The first in this series was the virgin Kanya (Virgo) and meant to be an “earthy, feminine [and] sensuousness” single malt. D’Souza used barrels that were a minimum of seven years old and bottled non-chill filtered it at 50% ABV.

In 2018, Kanya was named the Best Asian Whisky in Jim Murry’s Whisky Bible.

TASTING NOTES

Nose: The nose is beautiful and inviting with layers of fruit, nuts, caramel, vanilla, and wood. As it sits, tropical fruit aromas of banana, under ripe mango and green apple peal intertwine with notes of cooked oats, seasoned with cinnamon, vanilla, and honey.

Palate: On the palate, the whisky is light and smooth with a balanced mix of grain, wood, and caramel. At 50% ABV the whisky glides across you tongue with zero burn and lots of flavor.

Finish: The finish is long and soft with lingering flavors of cashews, malt and a touch of honey.

Conclusion: Kanya is a delicious malt whisky that shows excellent balance between the distillate and the barrel. In my imagination, aging whisky in India for seven years would prove challenging given the climate but Paul John did not just copy the techniques of malt whiskies made in cooler climates. Instead, they have demonstrated a firm grasp of how to make an elegant and delicious whisky designed for the climatic conditions of Goa. At over $200 per bottle this definitely should be enjoyed neat with close friends or family that understand the specialness of the whisky.

Review: Paul John Batch 2 Indian Single Malt Whisky

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Free sample bottle provided by Atom Brands.

At a Glance

• Owned and Distilled by: John Distilleries in Goa, India

• Still Type: Pot Stills

• Spirit Type: Indian Single Malt Whisky

• Age Statement: NAS

• Strength: 54.7% ABV

• Price: $108.12 for 500ml

Paul John Batch 2 Indian Single Malt Whisky was distilled by John Distilleries in Goa, India, aged for 6 Years and bottled by That Boutique-y Whisky Company at 54.7% ABV

Price: $108.12 for 500ml

John Distilleries has been blending whisky since 1992, but in 2008 the company began producing single malt whisky. Their whisky is made with two Indian copper pot stills with a capacity of 3000 liters per day, and the whisky comes out around 63.5% ABV. Once distilled, their whisky is aged in American white oak barrels and once they reach maturity the barrels are vatted and the whisky is bottled without chill filtration. Because of the climate of Goa, the whisky barrels lose quite a to the Angel's Share and for Batch 2, That Boutique-y Whisky Company selected a barrel that came in at 54.7% ABV after 6 years.

Tasting Notes

Nose: The whisky has a strong alcohol nose that carries aromas of malt, oxidized wine, baked apples and caramel. 

Palate: The palate is smooth, round and slightly smokey. The initial taste is subtly sweet with notes of dried or candied fruit and roasted nuts. 

Finish: The finish is medium long, hot, and tastes of malt, nuts and the faintest hint of curry. 

Conclusion: Paul John is an interesting whisky that served neat is obscured by the high proof. With a little water the whisky opens up nicely and shows more of its sweetness and smoke without the burn of the alcohol. With a touch of water, the finish is also much smother and has a nutty flavor, more reminiscent of a classic single malt. While Paul John is definitely a well made spirit, for its age, I'm not sure that I would spend over $100 for this whisky. Though, if you are interested in tasting what is probably some of the best single malt whisky coming out of India, Paul John should be on your short list.

Thank you to Master of Malt and That Boutique-y Whisky Company for providing the free sample.

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