Amrut Kadhambam

50% abv

Score:  90/100

In one of the more innovative bits of cask play I’ve seen so far, Amrut has crafted yet another quirky single malt for general release.  Kadhambam means ‘mixture’ in the Tamil dialect, and that mixture they’re referring to is the casks themselves.  By that I mean that this malt got around more than Taylor Swift through Hollywood’s bachelor scene, with flings in alternately rum, sherry and brandy barrels.  As you can imagine, this leads to a very singular whisky.

I imagine some may be led to believe this would be much like a Frankenmalt with a very ‘manufactured’ profile.  Surprisingly, this couldn’t be further from the truth.  While definitely a bit of glorious tomfoolery, this is not a contrived whisky by any means.  Instead it is a case of the whole being more than the sum of its parts.  I like that.  A whisky with good integration where the cohesive whole is treat.

To be fair, this isn’t my favorite of Amrut releases, but it is good.  More than good actually.  Enough so that I squirreled away a couple of bottles for some future rainy day.  Or more likely just for inclusion in a couple of planned Amrut range tastings in future days.  

As you can see by the image above, this particular bottle I’m writing of is from Batch 1, in the days of Amrut’s big coffin box presentation.  Nowadays these releases come in a much more modest and compact presentation.  I’ve yet to try the newer batches, but if you can find one of these originals (limited to just a couple hundred bottles) do grab one.  If not…no worries…this is a distillery which is very dependable in terms of consistency.  I’m sure the newer editions are also likely spot on.

Nose:  Rich and spicy.  Cinnamon, nutmeg and butter.  Marzipan.  Melon.  Cantaloupe.  Cocoa.  Clove.  Orange oil.  Grape.  Spicy bread.  A sort of savoury note.  Putty.  A little bit of a wine note here, I think.

Palate:  Apple in caramel and cinnamon.  Bread.  Anise.  Big syrupy delivery and smooth development.  Creamy toffee and a molasses bitterness.  Over ripe fruits.  More chocolate.  Fruit leather.  Quite drying.  Apples on the finish.

Thoughts & Impressions:  Very well-composed.  The way this one unfolds is quite magic.  If you sit back and think about it, knowing what sort of casks are at play here, you can actually see the influence of all in the finished product.  Quite neat.  Speaks volumes to the skill of Amrut’s blender(s).  

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt