Whether you want to stock your home bar with the latest ahead of this year's Diwali party or pick an interesting bottle to take for your hosts as the festive season approaches, here's a look at five new spirits in the price range of Rs 2,000 to Rs 11,000.
Haku Vodka
The House of Suntory has some excellent spirits in its stable, from Yamazaki and Bowmore to the lovely Roku gin. Haku, their vodka, is a lot more low-profile, but it does look like stuff that could find a place in your drinks cabinet. Haku, which means ‘white’ in Japanese, is distilled from Hakumai, the short-grain Japanese rice. It is twice-distilled through bamboo charcoal, which, Suntory says, adds a “sophisticated sweetness and complexity to the vodka’s natural flavour.” Haku will soon be available in Maharashtra, Goa, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana and prices start at Rs 3,950.
Chambal Gin
Who’d have thought that the infamous Chambal Valley would one day provide inspiration for a gin? But here it is, all the same. Chambal gin is produced by third-generation distiller Pervez Bapuna, who heads Bapuna Alcobrew. The distillery, located near Gwalior, is a leading producer of rectified spirit. Besides juniper berries, Chambal is infused with botanicals ranging from wild cinnamon bark, black and green cardamom, and dried lemon peel for some citrusy zest. The infusion of almonds, says the company, adds a velvety smoothness to the spirit. Rs 1,950 (Delhi).
Glenmorangie A Tale of the Forest
Dr Bill Lumsden, Glenmorangie’s director of distilling, has created some exceptional whiskies in the recent past. These include the Signet, a chocolate malt whisky; and A Tale of Cake, which was finished in Tokaji dessert wine casks. His most recent creation, A Tale of the Forest, is the distillery’s first whisky to be made from barley kilned with woodland botanicals.
The whisky is a tribute to the woodlands near Dr Lumsden’s home, and in his attempt to evoke the magic of the forest, he kilned the barley with juniper berries, birch bark, and heather flowers along with some peat. Once distilled, the whisky was matured in bourbon casks, including many refills casks. The result, according to Glenmorangie’s effusive description, is a whisky “with aromas of pine needles and woodland moss, juniper’s sharpness and tastes of eucalyptus, mint, bitter orange and distant smoke.” Rs 11,500 (Mumbai); Rs 7,000 (Gurgaon).
Smoke Lab Saffron Flavoured Vodka
Smoke Lab got flavoured vodka pretty much right with their Aniseed vodka, and that should make you want to check out their saffron variant. The Delhi-based company has infused their classic vodka, which is made with basmati rice and distilled five times, with Kashmiri saffron and the resulting spirit is aromatic, with a viscous mouthfeel and a creamy finish. The gluten-free and vegan vodka is priced at Rs 2,000 in Delhi and Rs 2800 in Maharashtra.
Kumaon & I Gin
Himmaleh Spirits’ debut offering is a gin dedicated to hilly Kumaon, in Uttarakhand. Kumaon & I is distilled in the eponymous region and infused with over 10 botanicals such as timur, a berry-like Szechuan pepper that adds a touch of spicy fruitiness, and black turmeric. Other ingredients in the ‘Himalayan’ dry gin include coriander seeds, galgal (hill lemons) and kinnow which, the company says, introduces a touch of nuanced sweetness. Kumaon & I is priced at Rs 2,700 in Uttarakhand; Rs 2,896 in Goa, and Rs 3,000 in Gurgaon.
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