Paul John (whisky)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 | |
 Indian Single Malt Whisky | |
| Type | India single malt whisky and single cask whisky |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | John Distilleries |
| Origin | India |
| Introduced | 4 October 2012 |
| Alcohol by volume |
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| Colour | |
| Ingredients | Indian 6 row malted barley, imported Islay and Aberdeen peat |
| Variants |
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| Related products |
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| Website | pauljohnwhisky |
Paul John Whisky is a brand of Indian single malt and single cask whisky, manufactured by John Distilleries. The brand launched in London, England on 4 October 2012.[1] Paul John Whisky is made from Indian 6-row malted barley and, for some variants, imported Islay and Aberdeen peat, distilled in traditional copper pot stills and then matured in charred American Oak casks at the company's distillery in Goa, India.
Paul John Single Malt Whisky was first launched in 2012 in the United Kingdom, by Sanjay Paul, CEO of Alcobev Limited, then in Goa, India, in 2013, and Bangalore in 2015. It was named after the Founder and Chairman of John Distilleries, Paul P. John.[citation needed]
John Distilleries is based in Bangalore, India, and its single malt distillery is located in Goa. The distillery is equipped with two sets of copper pot stills (one for wash and one for spirit), with a daily production capacity of 6,000 liters. There is also a visitor center located on the premises. The distillery is the first in India to allow tours of the facility. Maturation takes place in a climate-controlled underground cellar that has around 10,000 barrels, as well as in on-ground warehouses.[2] The company had been making blended whisky since 1996, and single malt whisky since 2008[3] in an attempt to enter the premium end of the market.
The first bottling of Paul John whisky, branded "Paul John Single Cask 161 Whisky", was officially launched in London, UK, on 4 October 2012 by Sanjay Paul, CEO of Alcobev Limited, at the Capital Hotel in Knightsbridge, London, England.[28] The brand's second release, "Paul John Single Cask 163 Whisky" was also released by Sanjay Paul, CEO of Alcobev Limited, having 57% abv and priced at £60.[29] Following the single cask release, Sanjay Paul, CEO of Alcobev Limited released Paul John's flagship single malt whiskies in May 2013.[30] They were branded Paul John Brilliance, Paul John Edited and Paul John Bold.[31] These expressions range from unpeated to peated and are available across 38 countries in the world today. With over 200 known international awards, the range of expressions also include Select Cask Classic and Select Cask Peated.
Master Distiller Michael D'Souza chose to use Indian ingredients in the making of the single malts, to give the whisky characteristics of its country of origin. The wash he created had an ABV of 5%, lower than the standard 8% for most whisky. This creates a sweeter flavour in the final product. The whisky is put in the casks at 55% ABV, but the alcoholic strength increases as it ages due to the heat, giving the final product an ABV of 57%.[4]
Goa features a tropical monsoon climate and being in the tropical zone and near the Arabian Sea, has a hot and humid climate for most of the year. The tropical climate of Goa matures the liquid faster than colder climatic regions. The fraction lost to evaporation during ageing, known as the angels' share, is also higher in India, at 8-10% per year, than in Scotland, where the annual evaporation loss is about 2%.[5] This leaves a hogshead with only 150 bottles left in it, after three years, compared to around 350 in Scotland.[4] Michael D'Souza describes it this way, "Whisky matured at these temperatures simply cannot be aged for the kind of time expected with Scotch, even trying to mature our whisky for just 10 years would leave barely a bottle of liquid in the barrel. Fortunately, the heat actually speeds up the maturation process considerably. As a result, whisky that has been matured for just 4-5 years – as is the case with Paul John Edited and Brilliance – is equivalent to a Scotch that has been aged for around 15 years".[6]
