Whiskeys are quite popular in India. We love to taste luscious Indian whisky brands in daily life and during functions. This article is about the top 10 best whisky brands in India. You can choose your choice of the best whisky in India and relish it with friends and family.
India is a significant whisky producer, while many people may not consider it in the right way. The malt produced here is refreshingly different. In addition to malted grains, thick and delicious molasses is used to make the whisky created in India.
13 of the 25 best-selling whisky brands worldwide are from India, home to numerous international and local distilleries. Despite this, likely, you’ve never had any of the ten Indian whiskies listed below, which we believe everyone should try at least once in their lifetime.
A sip of the best whisky in India will blow your mind, from award-winning blends to regional variations of the brown elixir.
Top 10 Best Whisky Brands in India
1. Officer’s Choice
The most popular spirit in 2015 was Smirnoff Vodka, overtaken by OC, a top-selling Indian whisky brand. The Officer’s Choice brand, with record sales of more than 20 million cases yearly, has regularly produced double-digit growth for three years. The brand attributes its astonishing rise to Officer’s Choice Black, its ultra-premium expression, and its motivational viral campaign. This whiskey, which belongs to Allied Blenders and Distillers (ABD), is a fine combination of Indian neutral and malt spirits.
- Winery: Allied Blenders & Distilleries (ABD), Kolkata
- Price: INR 380 for 750 ml (2020)
- Alcohol by Volume: 42.8%
2. McDowell’s No. 1
Launched 120 years ago, McDowell’s No. 1 has become a trusted brand among Yaars. In addition to recognizing and celebrating friendships, McDowell’s No. 1 has developed a special connection with its 25+ million customers by allowing yaars to express and honour their Yaari to one another. According to the World’s Million Case Spirits Brand 2020 list, it is the world’s best-selling whisky brand created by combining whisky with special Indian malts. For its popularity, it has won numerous awards, the most notable of which is the Readers Digest Award.
- Winery: United Spirits Limited, Banglore
- Price: INR 770 for 750 ml (2020)
- Alcohol by Volume: 42.8%
3. Solan No. 1
A blend of specially chosen Indian grain spirits and malt whiskies that have been aged in the best oak wood casks results in the whiskey of rare character known as Solan number one black rare premium whiskey. Master blenders carefully oversaw the blending process to preserve the original flavour. One of Mohan Meakins’ exclusive collections is Solan, the New Black. The brand has no social media presence and solely uses word-of-mouth marketing to promote its tall whisky bottles in a few specific geographic areas.
- Winery: Mohan Meakin, Himachal Pradesh
- Price: 1-litre bottle for ₹ 270 (2012)
- Alcohol by Volume: 42.8%
4. Royal Stag
Indian alcoholic beverage brand Royal Stag was introduced in 1995 and is also known as Seagram’s Royal Stag. It is available in a variety of pack sizes in many different countries throughout the world. According to sales, it is the most popular Pernod Ricard item. It consists of a blend of foreign Scotch malts and wheat spirits. The product’s packaging features a deer species known for its antlers as its icon. It is produced in numerous craft breweries that are both companies- and bottler-owned. It was the first whisky company established in India without any artificial flavours.
- Winery: Pernod Ricard, Nepal
- Price: 750 ml for ₹ 710 (2020)
- Alcohol by Volume: 42.8%
5. Imperial Blue (IB) Whisky
Imperial Blue, often known as Seagram’s Imperial Blue and abbreviated IB, is a Pernod Ricard-produced Indian whisky introduced in 1997. Deities from Indian grains are combined with Scotch malts then Imperial Blue is produced. The popularity of Imperial Blue among young people makes it the best whisky in India on a reasonable budget.
- Winery: Pernod Ricard
- Price: 750 ml for ₹ 590 (2020)
- Alcohol by Volume: 42.8%
6. Rampur
Rampur Select Indian Single Malt is one of the best whiskies in India. It is deep golden nectar with overlapping fruity and flowery flavours in each sip. The mix, which the company refers to as the “Kohinoor of Single Malts,” is aged in the Himalayan foothills.
- Winery: Radico Khaitan Ltd., Uttar Pradesh
- Price: 750 ml for ₹ 7600 (2021)
- Alcohol by Volume: 45%
7. Blenders Pride
Pernod Ricard owns the Indian whisky brand Blenders Pride, launched in 1995. According to the company website, it is a combination of imported Scotch malt and Indian grain spirits. Blenders Pride is one of the five core brands chosen by Pernod Ricard to develop its spirits business in India. According to reports, this Pernod Ricard-owned Indian whisky brand controls almost 50% of the country’s premium blended whisky market. Following a modest decrease in sales in 2013, the brand remarkably recovered in 2014 and 2015, and it has been in good standing ever since.
- Winery: Pernod Ricard
- Price: 750 ml for ₹ 920 (2021)
- Alcohol by Volume: 42.8%
8. Amrut Fusion Single Malt Whisky
Amrut Fusion Single Malt Whisky is a beguiling fusion of Scottish and Indian barley, created in Bengaluru by Amrut Distilleries. Citrusy spice, sweet vanilla, and chocolate combine in a rich, oaky fusion that culminates in a lingering bitter-sweet aftertaste.
- Winery: Amrut Distilleries Ltd, Bengaluru
- Price: 750 ml for ₹ 3340 (2021)
- Alcohol by Volume: 62.8%
9. Bagpiper
This whiskey brand, which was established in 1976 and is part of the United Breweries group, continues to enjoy high levels of consumer trust in India. It is ranked among the top 100 whiskies in the world on a global scale as well. Bagpiper, who invented the sale of whiskies in tetra packs, has received numerous honours for its unconventional marketing, including the Readers Digest prize in 2006.
- Winery: United Breweries Holdings Limited, Bengaluru
- Price: 750 ml for ₹ 500 (2020)
- Alcohol by Volume: 42.8%
10. Peter Scot Black
Peter Scot Black, a 2019 release from Bengaluru’s Khoday (the company behind Khodays and Hercules Rum), is woody and somewhat nutty single malt. It’s currently accessible in a small number of states, including Karnataka, Punjab, Goa, and Rajasthan. In February 2019, Khoday’s introduced Peter Scot Black, a single malt whisky, in the Indian states of Karnataka, Goa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Daman, and Silvassa.
- Winery: United Breweries Holdings Limited, Bengaluru
- Price: 750 ml for ₹ 4300 (2019)
- Alcohol by Volume: 42.8%
Whiskies are among the world’s most intricate alcoholic beverages. We have put together a list of the brands of the best whisky in India, complete with their various types and flavour profiles. You can review the list of the top 10 whisky brands in India and choose what appeals to you, depending on your budget, location, and taste preferences.
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