Amrut Single Cask Virgin Oak

Thanks to /u/devoz for this sample.

I’ve written about Amrut quite a bit in the last while. So much so, I’m having trouble starting this one off.

Everyone loves a Virgin Butt.

Wait, that may come off wrong. But think of the SEO I’ll get!

Alright, good plan.

Like I was saying, everyone loves a virgin butt. Sure they don’t know what they are doing, and sure, odd things can come out of these, but it can also have a tight execution.

In the case of Amrut Single Cask Virgin Oak, we have the standard Amrut un peated malt that has been aged in only Virgin Oak. At 6 years old, and with only 94 bottles, I feel very privileged to even try this. Given this day and age, it’s hard to find a virgin butt.

So let’s see how it tastes, shall we?

Price: N/A at the LCBO

Region: India

Cask Type: Virgin Oak

Cask Number: 891

Malt Type: Un Peated Indian Barley

Distilling Date: Apr. 2010

Bottling Date: June 2016

Bottle Number: 01 of 94 bottles

Abv: 60%

Colour: 2.5YR 4/10

Nose: Burnt sugar, wood cabin, cherry, plum, coconut, milk chocolate, marzipan

Quite the sweetness coming out of here. And some chocolate notes too. Really nice nuttiness near the end. Quite the complex nose.

It does smell exactly like a wood cabin. The heat of India has taken well to the butt.

Taste: Strawberry, currant, coconut oil, blackberry, margarine, rum sauce, rosemary

No salt, luckily. It would ruin the strong, red fruit flavours.

I wish they could have coaxed out more butter from this one. It ends up having an artificial taste in the middle of it.

Finish: Wood, cornbread, pepper, basil, brown sugar, sugar cane, cereal

This is my kind of dram. There’s this peppery, herbal amount of earth. Lots of dirt here. But it mixes with the sugar, the heat, and the wood.

The only note I’m not liking is the wood at the end. It’s a little forward, especially in the back of my throat.

Conclusion: Sex.

Anyway, being serious for a second: Deep Breath in.

This is probably the best virgin oak cask that I’ve had in awhile. I think. I did a lot of reviews lately. But I really enjoyed how the spice and fruit of Amrut did with the wood forward aspects of a virgin oak cask.

I can see the issue with the finish. Given time I was able to get around the sheer amount of wood down my throat. Wait, I’m being serious. It’s quite woody. Like Evil Dead amounts of wood. In awkward places.

I like it given some time, but this may not be for everyone.

87/100

World Whisky reviews #191, India review #26, Whisky Network review #903