Amrut Kadhambam

2nd review. Open = 8-21-2020 Today's tasting 4-6-2021 Not sure if my palate is changing or if its oxidation but now I can only give 3.5 I don't find myself reaching for this one much now.

Nose: Cherry, licorice, caramel, light smoke, leather. Taste: Sugar, slight burn, smoke, butter, finish is long but almost all burn and tingle.

8/21/2020 1st Review 9/4/2020 Botle opened 2 weeks ago.Explosion of flavors even @ watered down to 86 proof. Looking forward to see how the bottle opens up.

Rating: 19/23 This came fairly strongly recommended and I like the other Amrut offerings that I tried, so I'm optimistic. Also, the multiple cask aging is intriguing, particularly since it uses not only oloroso and brandy, but also rum. N: This has a drier, tarter nose than I expected. It's kind of floral with some vanilla and an interesting musty smell. There's a hint of light spiciness that reminds me a bit of Copper Fox Rye in its herbal, funky way. It's a very full nose and I quite enjoy it. It makes a statement, but it fits together nicely as well. This is a nose with personality and aside from its similarity to Copper Fox, there's nothing to suggest its almost certain youth. P: Wow, this has quite a palate! There's an immediate tartness that's kind of fruity and tannic with a treated wood and menthol presence, but it gives way to sweeter flavors with malt, caramel, vanilla and whole assortment of tropical fruits. The complexity is really amazing here as it explodes and waves of flavor come across. The tartness and bit of menthol stay throughout. With the kind of herbal flavor, the menthol suggests a bit of peat. It's hot, but not really spicy and it certainly isn't harsh. It's a reasonable heat for 50%. F: It has an interestingly bourbony character to the finish. There's a lot of vanilla with wood and caramel, as well as a clear tartness. Some references to tropical fruits remain, but they've largely died out. There are some wisps of smoke in with the wood. It initially reminded me a lot of the Kavalan Soloist Port Cask, but side-by-side the nose of the Kavalan has a lot more barrel and funk to it, whereas this displays more malt. The Kavalan is also way more in your face and really explodes with funk and port sweetness on the palate. The thing that does seem very similar though is the tannic tartness, which both have as a primary component, as well as plenty of tropical fruits. Even with substantial water, the Kavalan is one hell of a bomb, whereas this is just starting to form the suggestion of being a bomb. It's a tough call between the two, but I'd say that the Kavalan slightly edges this out. The sweet and smoky combination also suggested that Johnnie Walker Green would be a good comparison. Likely due to its lower proof, the Johnnie Walker is a tad watery in comparison. Johnnie Walker's flavor also tastes a bit off in comparison and its flavors come across as comparatively muddled. Between the two, I have to give a fairly decisive win to the Amrut. Considering how it did against the Kavalan and Johnnie Walker, I should be rating this in the 18-20 range; however, it's been several months since I opened the Kavalan and now that it's been open for 6-8 months, it has mellowed substantially and the complexities really stand out, so I think I underrated it a little bit before. Therefore, I'll need to re-taste it (what a tragedy!) and this is more like an 18-21. Given how soundly it beat Johnnie Walker, I'm thinking at least a 19, but 21 seems to be pushing it. So I'm borderline 19 to 20. Either would be a fantastic rating, but I am really torn. I think it's only a hair better than the Amrut Fusion, so I'm settling on 19.