The American spirits world’s biggest blind-judged competition, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, published its 2026 results in June, and the Indian whisky list is short. Only three Indian whiskies took medals this year, and they are not the names you might expect. There is no Amrut, no Paul John, no Indri, or Rampur or Godawan.
Instead, two of the three come from a single small producer in the Himalayan foothills that most drinkers outside India have never heard of, and the third is a Goan malt finished in old tequila casks.
The absence of the big names is striking on its own, but the more interesting part is what a result like this can do for the producers who did win. A Double Gold at San Francisco is the kind of thing that puts a small distillery in front of buyers and drinkers who would never otherwise come across it, and both Devans and Kadamba could see real attention from it.
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As promised, today we will take a closer look at the Indian whisky winners. So, what do we know about the winning Indian single malts from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2026? Let’s find out.
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DeVANS GianChand Indian Single Malt Whisky
Award: Double Gold Medal
Tasting Notes: Brandy snaps, gingerbread, dried apricots, prunes, honeycomb toffee, peat, dry oak, salt, fruits, bitter chocolate, white pepper
Every Kirkland Bourbon Ranked, From Worst to Best
READ THE STORYFind Your Next Bottle: $79.99 / ₹ 4,600
DeVANS Modern Breweries has been around since 1961, when it was founded in Jammu by Dewan Gian Chand. For most of its life, the company was known for bulk malt spirit and its Godfather beer, and only moved into bottling its own branded single malt in 2022.
The flagship single malt is made from 100% Indian six-row barley, distilled in long-swan-neck copper pot stills that the company designed itself, and matured for around four years in once-used American bourbon barrels.
Devans says the distillery’s water and weather have both played an essential role in shaping the character of the whisky. Jim Murray rated it highly, calling it “unquestionably the most delicate Indian malt I have nosed” in nearly thirty years and one of the most fascinating whiskies he came across that year.
Expect honeycomb, dried fruit, a light touch of peat, and dry spice on the finish.
DeVANS is an interesting producer, not least because they have been around in some form for decades, but because they are just now breaking onto the international stage. According to a company release in February: “GianChand is available in more than ten states in India including duty-free shops in Delhi & Hyderabad and is steadily expanding its footprint across global markets.”
You might just see this one become more readily available on the shelves in the coming years. (I live in the UK, so I very much hope so.)
DeVANS GianChand Manshaa
Award: Silver Medal
Tasting Notes: Campfire, earthy peat, toasted spices, dried fruit, maltiness, caramel
Find Your Next Bottle: Check out Duty Free / ₹9,500
Manshaa is the peated, premium expression in the GianChand range. It comes from the same Jammu distillery as the flagship, made from the same Indian six-row barley and distilled in the same copper pot stills, but it is built around peat.
India has no native peat of its own, so the smoke here comes from peat imported from Scotland. Expect a medicinal smokiness sitting over citrus and spice.
What makes the Silver worth noting is the company Manshaa keeps. In 2025, it was named International Whisky of the Year and awarded a Grand Gold at Meininger’s International Spirits Award in Germany, ahead of entries from Scotland, Ireland, the United States, and Germany.
For a producer only a few years into bottling its own single malt, beating that field and then medaling again at San Francisco is a strong run, and it is the kind of recognition that tends to bring new buyers looking.
Kadamba Indian Single Malt Whisky Agave Barrel Finish
Award: Silver Medal
Tasting Notes: Pear, vanilla, honeysuckle, citrus, peppercorns, spice, earthiness
Find Your Next Bottle: $59.99
The hook with this one is in the name. Kadamba’s whisky is matured in American bourbon barrels and then finished in casks that previously held agave spirit, the base of tequila.
It comes from Imperial Distillers, part of the Goa-based Cheers Group, and takes its name from the Kadamba dynasty that once ruled the region.
According to Hospibuzz.com, Kadamba is “a new varient single malt whisky specially made for mixing,” with the producer looking to shake up how Indian whisky is both perceived and enjoyed. This particular agave-finished whisky was reportedly created following conversations with, and research about, top global bartenders who know exactly what the consumer is looking for at the bar. The agave finish adds distinct herbaceous, citrus-edged notes over the malt, resulting in a whisky that can be enjoyed neat, but was equally designed to be enjoyed in a cocktail.
Ashwin Balivada CEO of Cheers group, told Hospibuzz, “Kadamba Single-malt whisky is famous for being unique with hints of Agave spirit as it goes secondary maturation in Agave barrels, and with other fresh flavours from the salty Goan sea air, is perfect for more robust cocktails– it’s just so classic, and so affordable.”
Affordable it might be, but easy to find, it is not. Keep an eye on specialist liquor store listings for this particular bottle. It retails for between $40-$60 when it does appear in the US, and I cannot find any current listings for the UK or India.
India’s Quiet Win
The big Indian distilleries sat this particular list out, which is part of what makes the result interesting.
A Double Gold and two Silvers went instead to Devans and Kadamba, and recognition like that, from a competition judged blind in San Francisco, is exactly the kind of thing that can move a smaller producer onto shelves and into conversations it would not otherwise reach.
It is worth remembering that one competition never captures a whole category. Amrut, Paul John, Indri, Rampur, and Godawan are all absent here, and their absence says nothing about the year they have had, since SFWSC is a paid-entry competition.
But for Devans and Kadamba, the timing is good. Both are still building out their reach beyond India, and a strong showing at San Francisco gives drinkers abroad a reason to look for bottles they may never have come across before.
Have you tried any of these three, or is there an Indian single malt you think the judges missed? Let us know in the comments.
