Diwali party prep: Paul John gin, Glenfiddich 21 YO and 3 more spirits to restock your home bar

New spirits out in the market, just in time for Diwali parties. (Representational image: Louis Hansel via Unsplash)

Metaxa 12 Stars

The Greeks make some interesting spirits: ouzo, raki, tsipouro. And then, you have Metaxa. First created by Spyros Metaxa, a fiercely moustachioed “adventurer and man of fine tastes”, in 1888, the eponymous brand, now owned by Remy Martin, is made from brandy and Muscat wines that are aged separately in oak casks and then blended along with a bunch of botanicals from the Mediterranean. The result is a brandy that’s exceptionally smooth and pleasantly floral. The Metaxa 12 Star is the most mature in its range of spirits and the stars refer to the age of the youngest spirit in the bottle. While the 12 Stars is lovely on the rocks or over ice with a twist of orange, it also lends itself well to cocktails. Rs 6,900.

Metaxa 12 Stars; Rs 6,900

Paul John Malhar Gin

In an interview with Moneycontrol earlier this year, the eponymous founder of Paul John Whisky hinted at the nature of a gin that was at the time in the works at the distillery. Paul John described it as a “niche, premium product that would be made to the same exacting standards we follow for our whiskies.” Now, just in time for the festival season, John Distilleries is out with Malhar, a tribute to India’s bountiful monsoons and the numerous ragas that celebrate it.

Malhar; Rs 3,075 (Goa)

Also see: 6 new spirits for your bar at home

The gin is available in two flavour profiles. The Classic Dry is both peppery and floral on the nose and fresh and fruity on the palate, while the Citrus Gin is, as the name indicates, citrus-forward, with aromas of orange and lemon peel and lavender, among others, and a sweet woody finish with notes of juniper, hibiscus and angelica. The gins have been created by Paul John master distiller Michael Dsouza and are priced at Rs 3,075 (Goa).

Glenfiddich 21 YO Gran Reserva Rum Cask Finish

Your initiation into the world of single malts probably began with a Glenfiddich 12 Year Old, one of the world’s most popular and accessible whiskies, but now that you’ve familiarised yourself with the malt landscape, you deserve the Gran Reserva 21 YO that will hit the shelves soon. The whisky is matured in a combination of American and European oak casks for about two decades and then finished for four months in first fill bourbon barrels that have previously held Caribbean rum. Expect tropical notes of ginger, fig, and banana to shine through the mellowness of the 21 YO whisky.

Glenfiddich 21 YO Gran Reserva Rum Cask Finish

Yaksha Whisky

A year after it debuted with Rahasya, a flavoured vodka, Goa-based Blisswater Industries is ready with its next—a whisky that, the company claims, is infused with “extracts from the legendary soma plant” (believed to be Ephedra gerardiana). The blended whisky—grain spirits from India and scotch aged for five years in first-fill bourbon casks— is charcoal filtered, and Blisswater promises “soft smokiness and hints of honey and dates.” Rs 1,350 (Goa)

Yaksha Whisky; Rs 1,350 (Goa)

Trouvaille Gin

How do you differentiate your gin from the 3,456 brands in the market? New Delhi-based Boutique Spirit Brands, which makes, among others Gladius rum and Cliff Hanger vodka, has taken the French route with Trouvaille. Both the base grain spirit and some of the botanicals, including juniper, come from France. The citrus-forward gin is zesty on the nose, with hints of cinnamon and coriander on the palate. Rs 1,160

Trouvaille Gin; Rs1,160