Been meaning to post notes for this bottle I’ve had since my trip to south India (Kerala & Goa), for quite some time, but not sure what happened.
Paul John is the 2nd well known malt distillery from India, and although most local indian ‘whiskies’ are ‘ok’ at best, both malt distilleries are making TOP NOTCH whiskies, internationally acclaimed, and for a good reason.
Paul John is located in the little state of ‘Goa’ which is mostly christian, and one of the only places in India you can eat a good Hamburger made from proper meat, for that reason. At any rate, I’ve spent about two weeks in this wonderful tropical state, with the family in 2016 and managed to squeeze in a visit to Paul John distillery located in the town of Canculim, an hour and a half drive from Agonda beach where we stayed.
The distillery itself is not very romantic, and at the time they were in the process of building a visitor center, but no visitor center existed when we visited. I was greeted by the charming master distiller Michael D’Souza, who accompanied us on the make-shift tour.
Michael is quite the gentleman, and very knowledgeable in whisky, and spending an hour with him at the distillery was a pleasure. As there was no visitor center, he was kind enough to sit with us in his office and let us sample some drams from the core line, as well as some special single casks. I did not leave empty handed and one of the whiskies I got was the peated select cask I liked very much at the tasting.
Paul John Peated Select Cask , 55,5 % abv, £59.95
Nose: Lovely entry with smoke, and earthy notes as well as spices . Sweet with Muscovado sugar, quite deep and complex, dunnage warehouses and oriental spice, vanilla and caramel candy with rose petals, a bit of water makes it even creamier and more caramel emerges.
Palate: Lovely and sweet with more Muscovado sugar, sweet BBQ smoke, and a contrinuation of the earthy notes from the nose. A hint of cocoa, and maybe banana as well, and more spice. Mouth coating and complex with the smoke adding a nice dimension to it.
Finish: orange marmalade, smoke and a touch of cocoa.
Conclusion: This is a lovely dram, at cask strength it’s so very drinkable, rich and more-ish. The peatiness is not overwhelming and adds a nice touch to the otherwise sweet sugary rich palate and nose. Highly Recommended.
Score: 88/100
Available at Master of Malt for £59.95