Indian single malt whisky has had a quietly spectacular few years, going from a back-shelf curiosity to a genuine fixture at the world’s most competitive spirits judging panels.
Extreme heat, high angel’s shares, and genuinely creative cask programs have given Indian distillers a flavor toolkit that’s entirely their own.
Signup now to make sure you don't miss out on the latest whiskey news and deals.
By Signing up, you accept and agree to our Terms of Services and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. The Whiskey Wash is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Signup now to make sure you don't miss out on the latest whiskey news and deals.
By Signing up, you accept and agree to our Terms of Services and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. The Whiskey Wash is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
If you’re looking for a taste of what India has to offer on the whisky stage, every bottle on this list carries serious award credentials and comes in under $100.
Amrut Indian Single Malt, 46%, $60
If you’re new to Indian single malt, this is the one to start with. Amrut Distilleries in Bengaluru has been making whisky since 1948, and when they brought this bottle to Glasgow in 2004, it was the first Indian single malt to go international.
It’s been racking up awards ever since, most recently a Double Gold at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, where Amrut took three Double Golds across its range in a single year.
The whisky is built from 100% Indian six-row malted barley, grown in the Punjab and Himalayan foothills, then distilled and matured in Bengaluru in a mix of ex-bourbon barrels and new American oak.
Must Read Stories
In the glass, it’s bourbon-forward with burnt honeycomb, toffee, and a big barley-oak sweetness. At $50–$65 it is a good-value whisky for those who want a reliable Indian single malt on their shelf.
Indri Agneya, 46%, $66
Indri’s Agneya is the most decorated new Indian peated malt around right now. In its first full year on shelves, it picked up a Double Gold at the New York World Spirits Competition 2025 and a Gold in the Indian Single Malt category at the World Whiskies Awards 2026. It was also named Indian Single Malt Whisky of the Year at the London Spirits Competition 2026.
It’s made at Piccadily Distilleries in Karnal, Haryana, at the foothills of the Himalayas, under Master Blender Surrinder Kumar.
The peat is Scottish Highland, kilned into indigenous Indian six-row barley at around 25 ppm, and the spirit matures across three cask types: ex-bourbon, Oloroso sherry, and Pedro Ximénez. Haryana summers regularly hit 45°C, pushing the angel’s share to 10–12% annually.
The smoke here is present but restrained. Expect mango, dried apricot, vanilla, and ripe banana alongside the peat, with a warm, smoky finish that doesn’t overstay its welcome.
For anyone who finds heavily peated Scotch a bit much, this is worth serious attention.
Kadamba XR Sherry Cask, 42.8%, $81.99
Made by Cheers Group’s Imperial Distillers and Vintners in Goa, Kadamba is one of the lesser-known bottles on this list outside of competition circles, but the award shelf is growing steadily: Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2025 and a Bronze at the London Spirits Competition 2025, adding to a Bronze at the World Whiskies Awards 2024.
The whisky is aged first in charred oak barrels, then finished in sherry casks, with Goa’s hot, humid coastal climate driving wood interaction.
London Spirits Competition judges in 2025 noted dried fruits, gentle smoke, subtle oak, and a dry, lingering finish.
At around $80, it’s one of the more interesting newcomers in the Indian single malt space right now.
Paul John Port Select Cask, 48%, $93
This is the bottle that has made the biggest noise in Indian whisky so far in 2026. Paul John’s Port Select Cask was crowned World’s Best Indian Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards 2026, with master distiller Michael D’Souza also named World’s Best Master Distiller/Blender at the same ceremony.
John Distilleries has been making single malt in Goa since 2008, using indigenous Indian six-row barley, copper pot stills, and no chill filtration. The Port Select Cask is fully matured in Port casks sourced from Portugal’s Douro Valley.
The whisky has a profile full of rich vanilla, dried resin, dark plum, red liquorice, blackberries, milk chocolate, and brown sugar on the nose, with candied fruit, light ginger, and peppery nutmeg on the palate, and a finish of orange mocha and spiced chocolate.
At around $80-$90, it’s the WWA’s top-ranked Indian single malt and easy to recommend.
Paul John Oloroso Select Cask, 48%, $99.99
This whisky hails from the same distillery, but with a very different flavor profile. Where the Port Select Cask presents red fruit and chocolate, the Oloroso Select Cask goes deeper and richer.
The whisky sometimes breaks the $100 ceiling, but it’s worth including here because internationally it frequently comes in under $100, and the awards case is strong. At the time of writing, Astor Wines stocks the whisky for $99.99.
At the IWSC 2025 it scored 93 points, and it has also picked up a Gold at the International Spirits Challenge 2025.
The spirit is matured in ex-bourbon barrels before finishing in first-fill ex-Oloroso sherry hogsheads, bottled at 48%, non-chill filtered, with no added color.
On tasting, you may find peach, apricot, and light molasses on the nose, nutty chocolate and fruit cake on the palate, and a finish of dark chocolate, coffee mocha, and heavy spice from the Oloroso casks.
If the Port Select Cask is your entry point into Paul John, this is where you go next.
Godawan 01 Rich & Rounded, 46%, $60.95
Diageo’s entry into Indian single malt is one of the most distinctive production stories on this list. Godawan is made at the Alwar Distillery in Rajasthan, one of India’s most arid regions, where the annual angel’s share is higher than most other whisky-producing regions in India. This heat and dryness accelerate the whisky-wood interactions significantly.
The whisky uses indigenous six-row Indian barley, matures in ex-bourbon barrels, and goes through a finishing stage in ex-bourbon barrels seasoned with local botanicals, including Rasna and Jatamansi.
It’s bottled at 46%, non-chill filtered. At the International Whisky Competition 2025, it scored 88.22 points, finishing second in the Best Single Malt Indian Whisky category.
Expect honeysuckle, deep caramel, dried candied citrus, and baklava on the nose, with amber woodiness, caramel, and butteriness on the palate. Our own Phil Dwyer scored it an 8/10 on tasting.
Again, prices for this expression vary, but at the time of writing, The Liquor Mall has a bottle in stock for $60.95.
Godawan 02 Fruit And Spice is also award-winning, placing 3rd in the same category as its sister expression at the 2025 International Whisky Competition. A strong showing from Diageo India.
Rampur Asava, 45%, $85
Radico Khaitan’s Rampur Distillery in Uttar Pradesh has been operational since 1943, making it one of India’s oldest. Asava is its most celebrated release, and the reason is straightforward: it’s finished in Indian Cabernet Sauvignon wine casks, which the producer claims is a first in whisky history.
It won Best World Whisky at the John Barleycorn Awards 2023, a blind-judged panel of leading US whisky critics, and the broader Rampur portfolio ranked fourth in Drinks International’s Top Trending Whiskies of 2026.
The base spirit is made from Indian six-row barley, matured in American bourbon barrels, then finished in Indian Cabernet Sauvignon casks. It’s bottled at 45%, non-chill filtered, with no added color.
This cask combination imparts tropical fruit, apricot, blackberry, and plum on the nose, with manuka honey sweetness, spicy oak, and vanilla on the palate, and a long, lingering finish.
It launched globally in 2020 but only arrived in the Indian domestic market in June 2024, which tells you something about where the demand has been.
Have You Tried an Indian Single Malt?
Indian single malt is moving fast, and the bottles above are a good place to start exploring. Have you tried any of them? We’d love to know what you thought, and if there are other Indian single malts you think deserve a spot on this list, drop them in the comments below.
