Tipplers rejoice, India’s `Indri’ is the world’s finest whisky!
18 Dec 2023
India’s `Make-in-India’ push has achieved another first – the country can now boast of the world’s finest single malt whisky. `Indri,’ made by Piccadily Distilleries, has been named this year’s best single malt whisky.
Other top ranking Indian brands include Amrut Fusion and Kurinji from Uncle’s Wine Cellar in Mumbai and Radico Khaitan's Rampur.
Indri's $421 Diwali Collector's Edition was declared `Best in Show’ at the `Whiskies of the World’ 2023 awards blind tasting in San Francisco in August,
In domestic sales, Indri has beaten established global brands from Scotland and the United States that Glenlivet, made by France's Pernod Ricard, and the Talisker brand of Britain's Diageo lost their clout at wine shop shelves, as the Indian single malts alter consumer tastes in the country's $33 billion spirits market.
Foreign whisky brands are now vying with local rivals Indri, Amrut and Radico Khaitan's Rampur for shelf space at wine shops.
Sales of the Amrut brand soared 183 per cent last year against a 39 per cent growth recorded by Pernod's Glenlivet, which has long been the top-selling single malt whisky brand in India, as per data sourced from Euromonitor.
Sales of Indian single malts soared 144 per cent in 2021-22 against the 32 per cent growth recorded by Scotch whiskies. The market for Indian brands is expected to grow 13 per cent until 2027 against the 8 per cent growth estimated for Scotch during the period, according to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis.
Piccadily Distilleries is planning to raise capacity by 66 per cent so as to double Indri production from 10,000 litres a day at present to 20,000 litres a day by 2025, reports citing founder Siddharth Sharma said.
Local brands are also seeking price parity with Scotch and other foreign brands. Indri’s price in Delhi starts at $37 a bottle, Amrut $42 and Rampur $66 while Pernod's Glenlivet sells between $40 and $118, depending on age.
Radico expects sales of its Rampur brand to double each year. With a 75 per cent share for exports in overall sales, the company said it would now focus more on domestic market.