PBMichiganWolverine
Paul John Peated Select Cask Single Malt
Single Malt — Goa, India
Reviewed
December 14, 2016 (edited April 17, 2021)
My last Drinks by the Dram sample. I had always been curious of Paul John...it's raised in a hot climate like an Amrut, which expedites aging, but it's also by the ocean in Goa, unlike the Amrut which is at a high elevation. Just a bit of geography: Amrut is made in Bangalore, which is incredibly hot and at an elevation of 3000 feet. Goa is on the west coast of India, right at the beach, a tourist hippie heaven. Think Mazaltan, minus the drug cartels. But that maritime location is gentle and hot, with warm tropical breezes instead of the salty briny tempest you'd get in Islay or Islands. Ok...so...The nose is very minty, like smelling tic tacs almost. Some eucalyptus as well. Taste is much more earthy and grassy. I love that the peat is really integrated into the taste, reminds me a lot of that recent Ledaig 18 I had last time. It's there, and lets you know of the peat backbone, but it lets the wood shine first. I love the way it goes from the eucalyptus aroma to the grassy earthy taste. It's also potent, almost 55 ABV (angels share in Goa is to blame I guess). What I don't like is the finish. Has a bitter finish, almost like fenugreek. It was doing so incredibly well until the finish. Would I buy a full bottle? Probably not. It's good one time, but not sure I'd be coming back,just because of that fenugreek finish. I'd be open to trying other products of Paul John though.
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I'm going to a tasting of a flight of their whiskies next week. The owner Paul John is presenting in person which should make an interesting session. I was looking through Paul John reviews on distiller and surprise surprise you have the first on the list covered :-). Good review.
Just like any other economy product, whiskey production has evolved and changed. Japan has beaten Scotland at their own game. Taiwan and India have used climate to age quicker. Americans have used ingenuity to produce amazing craft products. Sweden and Australia used the cleanest natural resources to make amazing outputs.
Oh you should---Amrut and Paul John have come a long way. You're thinking of that molasses garbage they make these for 2 rupees a liter. These are different.
I never even dared to touch an Indian whisky... maybe I should? Don't know. Many malt mates even refuse to call it 'whisky'.