With its flagship brand (an Indian blended whisky) already selling over 10 million cases a year, the Paul John single malt range is truly a drop in the ocean and is thus neither a token effort to tick a box, nor an avenue to getting rich. His company, John Distilleries Ltd, was and is already an established concern, producing local Indian spirits since 1992. Thirdly, it is quickly apparent that his venture into single malt is made with strictly honourable intentions. “Compared to the daily challenges of life, the issues we encounter making whisky are very minor!” he smiles. “India is a difficult and challenging country in which to get things done,” he explains. ![]() In contrast, Mr Paul John is more upbeat. Talking with many distillers around the world today, one quickly detects an undertone of strain or misfortune as they lament rising production costs, shrinking markets, or ongoing production difficulties. Secondly, he is an upbeat and optimistic man. So what did we learn? (For ease of distinction in what follows, Paul John shall refer to the whisky Mr Paul John shall refer to the man).įirst of all, Mr Paul John is a wonderfully warm, engaging, and down to earth gentleman. ![]() Courtesy of Dramnation and the Sydney Cocktail Club, a few “regulars” sat down with Mr Paul John himself and chewed the fat over a dram or two. Paul John recently held a tasting and promotional night in Sydney, coinciding with the launch of the incredible “ Oloroso” expression. Or being able to ask questions of Mr George Smith, a decade after he set up Glenlivet and put his name to it? What would you talk about? What questions would you ask? Such was the situation a small number of local Sydney whisky folks found themselves in when they had the opportunity to sit down with Mr Paul John himself, owner and producer of the Paul John single malt whiskies. Imagine going back in time and having a private audience and tasting with Mr John Walker after his whisky business had been going for 12 years. Whisky & Wisdom has previously told parts of the Paul John story, and you can read much of the background information, plus read tasting notes on the core range here. Paul John is certainly one distillery that has its teething years behind it and is now bottling impressive whisky. Meanwhile, one country that continues to press on and build on an already firmly established foundation is India. But one wonders if such producers might do their brand a favour if they were to simply sit back and patiently wait until the spirit was truly ready? Nonetheless, regardless of the marketeers or the accountants, every distillery has to get through its awkward years of puberty until it can put world class whisky on the shelves. Yes, we all know that these early releases are works in progress and that these “Hey, I’m here” bottlings at two, three, and four years old are all immature and not a true reflection of what the whisky might one day become. The trouble for many of these newer distilleries in the “new-world” whisky countries is that finances and cash flow almost demand that they put their product out to market early. The new Paul John Oloroso release is yet another reminder that great whisky is coming out of India. Malt whisky is being made all over the world, both from serious contenders set up for large scale production, and from the plethora of craft distilleries forging small but new ground. ![]() If there’s one message the whisky industry is sending to Consumerville right now – both implicitly and explicitly – it’s that for malt whisky drinkers looking to try new drams, your options extend well beyond the shores of Scotland.
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