Tag Archives: Alcobev Industry India

Radico Khaitan All Set for National Rollout of Morpheus Luxury Whisky

After a strong start in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi, Radico Khaitan is all set to launch Morpheus Whisky to four new key markets, Karnataka, Haryana, Goa and West Bengal.

Radico Khaitan is expanding the footprint of its newly launched Morpheus Whisky in the Super-Premium segment across the country from Karnataka in South, Goa in West and West Bengal in East.

Morpheus was launched earlier this year as Radico Khaitan’s first-ever foray into the super-premium whisky segment. Radico Khaitan now aims to have a presence in more than 12 states by the end of FY 2026.

Speaking about the expansion, Abhishek Khaitan, Managing Director, Radico Khaitan Ltd., said, “India’s whisky market is evolving rapidly, with consumers increasingly seeking premium experiences that combine craftsmanship with character. Morpheus symbolises our commitment to shaping this next phase of growth. We are truly humbled by the love and enthusiasm Morpheus has received since its launch. The response has re-emphasised our belief that Indian consumers are ready to embrace a new standard of luxury in whisky.”

Adding to this, Amar Sinha, Chief Operating Officer, Radico Khaitan, shared, “Morpheus reflects our vision to lead India’s next phase of premiumisation. The early success of the brand highlights a growing demand for well-crafted, super-premium offerings that connect with consumers on both quality and emotion. With the kind of momentum we have witnessed, we are delighted to bring Morpheus to new markets as we continue to strengthen our presence across the country.”

Crafted with imported Scotch Malts and fine Indian grain spirits, and aged in bourbon barrels, Morpheus Super Premium Whisky offers a smooth, sophisticated taste with a distinct fruity and floral flair. Inspired by Morpheus, the Greek God of Dreams, the brand celebrates ambition, individuality and transformation, encouraging consumers to embrace their journey through its philosophy of “Be Your Dream”.

Reflecting the same thought in its design, the sleek bottle combines elegance with ease of handling, while the embossed Morpheus name on both sides creates a rich, tactile experience. The label, detailed with gold foiling at the base, symbolises the many layers within each individual that unfold over time, a beautiful metaphor for personal growth and discovery.

Further elevating its appeal is a Limited Collector’s Edition Pack, which features an exclusive gift box containing a premium hip flask and four coasters, making it an ideal choice for gifting or collecting during the festive season. Morpheus Super Premium Whisky is available in 750 ml, 375 ml, 180 ml, 90 ml and 60 ml SKUs, with 750 ml Bottle priced at Rs. 1190 in UP, Rs. 1400 in Rajasthan and Rs. 1100 in Delhi. For the upcoming new markets, a 750 ml Bottle of Morpheus Whisky will be priced around Rs. 1830 in Karnataka, Rs. 900 in Haryana, Rs. 900 in Goa, and Rs. 1400 in West Bengal. It is currently available in over 90% of A and B category outlets across existing markets of UP, Rajasthan and Delhi.

India, Central to Sazerac’s Growth Plans

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The Sazerac Company, one of the world’s largest distilled spirits companies, has major plans for India. The company which has got some fine distilleries across the globe, including in Goa, India, continues to expand its business across continents. To know their rich history and strong distilling capabilities, one can visit Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky, United States; at Domaine Sazerac de Segonzac in Cognac, France; and at Paul John Distillery in Goa, India. Sazerac has additional impressive locations in New Orleans, Montréal, London, Cork and Sydney, to name a few. Sazerac, a family-owned company with nearly 400 years of history, is striving hard to bring the finest spirits to consumers and communities around the world. With renewed interest in Bourbon whiskey in India and Sazerac’s plans, in an interview with Ambrosia, Diego Bianchi, General Manager of Emerging Markets & Barrel Select at Sazerac gives an insight into what is brewing at Sazerac.

What is the potential of the bourbon market in India? What percentage has it been growing in India?

India, as the world’s largest whiskey market, is central to Sazerac’s long-term growth plans. Over the last few years specifically India has experienced an increase in interest in premium American whiskey. The recent launch of Weller Bourbon, one of the most awarded wheated whiskeys in the world, signals Sazerac’s commitment to introducing high-quality, premium spirits to Indian consumers to meet the growing demand in the country. While bourbon as a category is still in its early stages in India, we see tremendous potential for growth driven by favourable economic trends and policy reforms, as well as shifting consumer preferences.

The bourbon market in India is small compared to Scotch, what are the plans to grow this category?

India’s whiskey market, dominated by locally produced spirits and Scotch whisky, offers a unique challenge and opportunity for premium bourbons like Buffalo Trace Distillery’s Weller Bourbon. Buffalo Trace Distillery is the World’s Most Award-Winning Distillery, with over 1,000 accolades. Known for blending tradition with innovation, the distillery experiments with mash bills, barrel techniques, and wood types to continuously push the boundaries of bourbon-making. This commitment to quality and innovation ensures a dynamic and relevant portfolio for global whiskey enthusiasts.

Our goal is to drive awareness and elevate the bourbon category’s premium appeal by introducing interesting and varied expressions into the market. Educating consumers about the unique distillation process and various bourbon mashbills that make bourbon a distinct whiskey offering is a key piece of this.

With India’s premium spirits market poised for continued growth, Weller’s focus on heritage and storytelling, alongside collaborations with connoisseurs and bartenders, is helping position it as a premium yet accessible choice for spirits-enthusiasts.

Which brands of bourbon whiskey are you planning to bring to India?

Currently in India we offer Benchmark Bourbon, Buffalo Trace Bourbon and the recently launched Weller lineup of Weller Special Reserve and Weller 12-Year-Old. In the coming years we expect to continue to introduce Indian whiskey fans to even more of Buffalo Trace Distillery’s award-winning portfolio to meet the market’s increasing demand for luxury spirits and authentic storytelling.

Weller 12-Year-Old Bourbon, aged for over 12 years, offers a smooth, rich experience with notes of almond, creamed corn, and vanilla, best enjoyed neat or on the rocks. Priced at ₹5,400 in Haryana and ₹7,750 in Mumbai, it is India’s oldest age-stated bourbon.

Weller Special Reserve Bourbon features a smooth profile with flavors of honey, butterscotch, and soft wood, complemented by a sweet honeysuckle finish. Versatile for sipping or mixing, it’s priced at ₹2,500 in Haryana and ₹4,500 in Mumbai.

Sazerac is to ‘leverage’ its relationship with John Distilleries, could you explain how?

Sazerac currently holds a 60% stake in John Distilleries, and it has been a strong and productive partnership. John Distilleries’ deep understanding of the Indian market has been invaluable for Sazerac as we navigated India’s dynamic and highly regulated landscape. Through our partnership Sazerac has benefitted from the company’s well of industry knowledge and established practices specific to the Indian market.

With Bourbon duties cut from 150 to 100% in India, will we see a quantum jump in Bourbon sales?

The reduction in duties is a positive first step. We hope this will lead to more premium bourbon brands becoming available in India, helping to grow the category and educate the consumer about what bourbon is and why it deserves a place on their bar.

How will the duty cuts impact the Indian whisky market, per se? Will there be a price correction?

No comment.

What an Expedition it has been…….

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Rakshit Jagdale, the Managing Director of Amrut Distilleries in a podcast conversation with Bhavya Desai talks about how the 75-year-old company has evolved over the years, starting from heritage brands such as Amrut XXX rum and Silver Cup brandy in the 1950s to the Amrut Single Malt and now to a limited edition of the oldest whisky from the sub-continent – The Expedition.

On February 26, 2025, Bengaluru-based Amrut Distilleries reached yet another highpoint in the alcobev sector when it launched The Expedition, the oldest single malt whisky in India, matured for 15 years, and sold for 12,000 USD (₹10.50 lakhs) per bottle. Celebrating its 75th anniversary, Amrut Distilleries released 75 bottles of this rare whisky, 66 of it for the international market and the rest for the Indian market.

Matured for 15 years

The Expedition is matured for 15 years, initially in European Sherry casks for 8 years and then American Bourbon casks for 7 years, developing deep, opulent flavours, complexity and depth. Amrut’s Expedition packaging exudes the grandeur of a royal heirloom. The merging of metal and wood took six months. Each handcrafted box houses an individually engraved and numbered bottle, featuring a diamond-cut design with intricate gold engravings. A regal silver peg measure, crafted by a Bangalore silversmith, has been embedded with a near-field communication (NFC) tag and authentication card.

Globalisation and the Market

Not just The Expedition, the international market for Amrut has been the US, followed by Europe and the APAC region, the last one is fast growing for single malt whiskies. “It has been a very exciting time for us in the industry now. We should see how it will unfold,” Rakshit said and mentioned how the markets opened up in India in 1990-91 with globalisation. “Seagram’s came with advertising blitzkrieg for Royal Stag, something which we had not seen. People started shifting from drinking heavier blended whiskies like MaQintosh or Peter Scot or Royal Challenge into drinking lighter whiskies like Royal Stag. At Amrut, we did not stop distilling, we kept on maturing our malts.”

Lighter Whiskies

It was around 1995-96 that Amrut cut down using heavier malts in MaQintosh from 35% to 10% to 8%. “It was then we thought why not go for single malt whisky, why not explore.” The first batch was matured for four years average and now the company is using a larger percentage of older whiskies. “We don’t have that much of quantity, we run out of supply,” confesses Rakshit.

Denying that the company created a demand to jack up prices and make it luxury, Rakshit said, “We didn’t have enough whisky, even now it is the case, but we do come up with special edition whiskies. Who wouldn’t want to sell more of their product.”

Technologies at play

Talking about how the company has evolved over the years, Rakshit said, “Techniques have evolved and barleys have improved from two row to six row. The yeast varietals have undergone massive change. Distillation technologies have also improved. The world over, the yield per ton of malt spirit has improved significantly now. Earlier, we were probably touching around 350 to 360 alcoholic litres per tonne, we are now hitting close to 400 alcoholic litres per tonne. With Scottish malts it’s even higher going up to 415 to 425 litres per tonne.”

On location advantage, Rakshit said Bangalore at an altitude of 950 metres above sea level has significant advantage with relative humidity remaining high in summer and dropping significantly in winter. “We lose angel’s share in our warehouses at an average of 9% every year. Probably it doesn’t happen anywhere else, may be in Kentucky. We lose more water than alcohol. If you go down anywhere near the coast or if you mature in Scotland, it is the other way around, because in Scotland’s cooler clime, the angel’s share is 2% per year, but they lose more alcohol than water, with the strength dropping. Humidity and altitude play a very significant role for us.”