Alcohol Anomalous

The Indian palate is getting adventurous enough for Japanese whisky, Brazilian tequila and more. Aabhas Sharma tracks the buzz

Japanese single malt just doesn’t sound right. Of all things from Japan, whisky is something you least expect the Oriental land to churn out. But Japanese scotch whisky has just found its way to Indian shores, and people are actually loving it.

Available at Wasabi in the Taj Mahal Hotel in Delhi, in its first few weeks only, the scotch — most notably a 20-year-old malt, Yoichi — has appealed to many whisky drinkers. Yoichi comes from Japan and is a much-appreciated brand all over the world. Apparently, Yoichi was also named the best single malt in the world at the World Whisky Awards earlier this year. A 30 ml Yoichi at Wasabi could cost you close to Rs 1,500.

According to the manager at Wasabi, Japanese malts have been extremely well received. Though the hotel is not sure how long they will be stocking the whisky, by the looks of it, they won’t give up on it any time soon.

Yoichi is not the only Japanese malt available. There is Yamazaki as well. Priced a little bit lower than Yoichi, the Nika is a less strong whisky. A 30 ml drink of Nikka will cost you Rs 1,050.

Sentory is another Japanese whisky which is being introduced in this country and is available at the Metropolitan Nikko hotel in New Delhi. According to the hotel’s general manager Aubrey Mullerworth, Japanese malts go extremely well with food. “We get customers who are willing to try different types of whisky and who actually appreciate them.” At a whisky-tasting session, Nikko brought labels from various countries, and Kono says that the response was overwhelming. Though the hotels still believe that heavy duty costs hamper them from bringing in expensive liquor from various countries, Mullerworth has been encouraged by the response all those whiskies received. “Though most people stick to the Glenfiddichs and Blue Labels, it is nice to see people trying other stuff as well.”

Sandeep Arora, the man responsible for bringing in the Japanese malts, says that Indians are now experimenting more with different types of liquor. “Gone are the days when just a normal scotch or wine would do.” Arora feels that, apart from the old connoisseurs, there is a new and young breed of drinkers which is leading to the opening of more avenues for not so well-known drinks in the country.

Italian wines have long been the flavour of the Indian market. Now, newer winemakers from that country are looking to make an appearance here. Brands such as Caviro, Cavit and Cantine that you may not quite have heard of are scouting for distributors and should be available soon, says sommelier and consultant Magandeep Singh. The wine-drinking segment has been swelling over the last few years and thus many foreign brands are trying to get a foothold in the Indian market.

Spanish winemaker Torres is also expanding its presence in the country. The wines are now available in retail stores and are premium-priced. A bottle would cost close to Rs 7,500 (sparkling, retail price).

But when it comes to wines, you must not miss out on some new Indian labels, now uncorking their first vintages. Chateau d’ Ori, for instance, has its first vintage, 2007, that was recently awarded at the prestigious Indian Wine Challenge event. Dubbed, the “mini-Bordeaux of India”, here is wine which may be more value-for- money as well.

But it’s not about whisky and wines alone. There is “Brazilian tequila” too, which has become quite popular these days. Cachaca, the Brazilian substitute for tequila, is available in cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore, and can be had neat, in cocktails, and even in food and desserts. Distributed by Aspri spirits in India, a 750 ml bottle of Cachaca retails at Rs 1,500. Just don’t have it in the usual form of a shot — you may not even enjoy the taste of it. By the way, Cachaca is the main ingredient in the famous Brazilian cocktail, the Caipiriniha. So, learn to make one this party season.

If you are into collectibles, Diageo had launched a special edition of Smirnoff Black (to coincide with the release of the James Bond movie Quantum of Solace, some time ago. The special edition box had a black bottle along with Bond shakers and is available at Rs 1,200 in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. Cheers!