Rampur Distillery sits at the foothills of the Himalayas in Uttar Pradesh, one of India's oldest distilleries, founded in 1943. Its Double Cask single malt is the flagship of the international range — Indian six-row barley, matured in a marriage of American bourbon and European oloroso sherry casks, and bottled at a confident 45%.
The Indian climate does the heavy lifting here. Maturation in Rampur's warehouses is intense and fast: the so-called angel's share can reach ten percent a year, which concentrates the spirit and drives wood extraction at a pace Scotland can only dream of. The result is a whisky that feels older than it probably is.
On the nose, ripe mango leads — that unmistakable tropical signature of Indian malts — followed by raisin, vanilla cream, and a whisper of sandalwood and toasted almond. The oloroso makes itself known without elbowing the bourbon aside.
The palate is medium-bodied and honeyed, with dried apricot, dark sugar and the nutty richness of the sherry cask folding through gentle oak spice. There's a generosity to it, a warmth that feels very much of its place — the whisky equivalent of a well-spiced North Indian dessert.
The finish runs medium length, drying into cinnamon, cocoa and a faint tropical sweetness that keeps you coming back. Rampur Double Cask is a fine introduction to Indian single malt for anyone raised on sherried Scotch — familiar enough to feel safe, different enough to feel like discovery. A good bottle for late evenings and winter kitchens.
