Amrut Peated Cask Strength

We'll have to have some around next time I see you.

I would say that this is an excellent dram for people who like big flavours and are relatively new to Peat. It doesn't have some of the potentially off-putting rubber and iodine notes of Islay monsters (which I like too). I'm sipping and enjoying Uigeadail right now, but thinking of the Amrut. I really like this whisky!

@Nozinan, sure, I will always be happy to have some Amrut Peated Cask Strength with you!

This one has been on my radar. It's a couple marks below the Talisker 57'N for you; I was wondering how you think they compare. Is brininess the main difference?

@vanPelt, the style and quality of the Amrut base malt is very different from any of the Scottish malts. Grain source, location of maturation, climate of the maturation, woods used for maturation,...all are different. Yes, the brine isn't there with Amrut as it is with Talisker or most of the Islays. That is also very significant. I like the brine, and, all things considered, I generally much prefer for there to be a brine component with strongly peated malt. The Amrut Peated Cask Strength is quite good even without the brine, and that characteristic Talisker black pepper, as complements to the peat and malt.

I really thought that Amrut imported their peated barley from Scotland, and I also thought they used standard bourbon barrels from a few different US sources. No? In any case, is there any better Scotch reference point you can think of? E.g. Lagavulin etc?

@vanPelt, you may be right about the peated barley importation. I don't know about that. I do know that they otherwise use local barley. About the barrels, my point was that Amrut uses a good bit of new oak maturation, and does not, like the Scots, routinely use re-used barrels for 100% of their malt maturation.

Sounds to me like you need to taste the Amrut Peated Cask Strength for yourself. To me it doesn't taste like anything from Islay. Closest Scottish comparison? Maybe a very peaty Highland Park with no wine influence.

I find there is a sulfury vegetal note (not in a bad way) to the HP I've tried. I would categorize Amrut's as a very "clean", uncomplicated peat.

@ Van pelt, it has been a few months since I tasted this Amrut, but I agree with Victor and Nozinan's comments. It is not comparable to the big medicinal or peppery peat from many distillers. A very peated highland park and I would add other Highlanders such as very peated or more mature Old Pulteney or Oban are excellent comparisons. Perhaps because it lacked a lot of the big peaty flavor profile I expected, I dismissed it initially, several of my in laws really liked it! I will need to revisit this Amrut, with some oxidation and appreciation for non-Islay peat, in a few months.

Thank you for the review. I have fallen for this Amrut myself. If you gentlemen get the chance I recommend you to try the Blackadder version of the peated CS. I found it as good as the OB but with a bit more smoke and intensity.

Alright! I've got some batch 25. It seems you received 2 samples-- do you know which batches? Is there any batch variation with this one?

@vanPelt, my samples of Amrut Peated Cask Strength are at the same ABV and both were to my knowledge purchased in Eastern Canada. They were not labeled by batch number, so I am not sure how to differentiate them except by taste. When I open the second sample to taste it, I will compare the two and let you know if they appear different. @Nozinan, @Robert99, if you are reading, can you report the batch numbers please?

Mine was Batch 12

@Nozinan, thank you for your prompt reply. It was your sample which I have tasted thus far and on which the review was based.

Surprisingly, my bottle of batch 12 wasn't that peaty. It's there, I just wouldn't categorize it as strong as I expected.

Brilliant stuff though - I was very impressed.

@JasonHambrey, I have been impressed over the years by how much variation in peating level there can be in the same bottling run, even when the whisky is bottled on the same day. I loved the heavy peating evident in this particular bottle of Amrut Peated Cask Strength. I expect I may have been a little bit less enthusiastic if the peating level had been noticeably lesser.

@JasonHambrey Did you try the Ashok Manoeuvre? Gentle warming brings out the peat in a big way.