Tag Archives: Global Whisky Market

DeVANS’ GianChand Collection Positions Indian Single Malt on the Global Map

Three whiskies—GianChand, Adambaraa, and Manshaa—trace the brand’s gradual climb from heritage to international acclaim.

Indian single malts have entered a stronger phase. Once the outsiders of the whisky world, they now find recognition among collectors and bartenders alike. Across India, distillers are treating whisky-making as both science and art; experimenting, observing, and letting the climate define their spirits’ tone and temperament.

That same focus filled the evening at The Quorum, Gurgaon, where DeVANS Modern Breweries Ltd. hosted an immersive tasting session for a select audience. The spotlight was on GianChand, the brand’s single malt range, introduced in three distinct variants: GianChand, Adambaraa, and Manshaa. Each bottle told a different story, tied by a common pursuit of integrity and finesse.

Later, I interacted with Prem Dewan, Chairman and Managing Director of DeVANS Modern Breweries Ltd., who outlined the brand’s journey and the meticulous ethos behind its whiskies.

A heritage that progressed with time

DeVANS’ step into the single malt category came from decades of hands-on expertise, not impulse. “For more than thirty years, we supplied matured and fresh malt spirits to various companies across India,” Prem Dewan said. “The quality of our matured stocks was exceptional. Eventually, we decided to bottle them ourselves rather than sell them away. That decision led to the birth of GianChand.”

The name, he explained, carried both sentiment and symbolism. “We wanted an identity that reflected Indian origins,” he said. “Our founder, Shri Gian Chand, had begun as a journalist before entering the liquor business in the 1940s. He built DeVANS on ethics, precision, and quality; values we continue to uphold. The single malt honours that legacy.”

Three whiskies, one intention

At the tasting, guests sampled the three expressions sequentially, noting how each carried a separate flavour identity. “GianChand has a gentle peat layer and matures for around four years,” Prem Dewan explained. “Adambaraa and Manshaa age for over seven. Adambaraa is unpeated, while Manshaa introduces peat for the first time in our lineup.”

All are matured in once-used American bourbon barrels. “We work with first-fill casks because they provide richness and subtle sweetness,” he added. “They lend character without overpowering the malt.”

Adambaraa delivers notes of barley, caramel, and dried fruit; Manshaa introduces restrained smoke with malt sweetness and earthy undertones. The original GianChand balances spice and soft oak. “Our whiskies carry a texture people instantly recognise,” Prem Dewan mentioned. “It’s refined and coherent across the collection.”

Technique moulded by terrain

Prem Dewan described DeVANS’ process as faithful to traditional whisky-making yet flexible to Indian realities. “The fundamentals remain constant: fermentation, distillation, maturation,” he said. “We allow natural fermentation, letting yeast perform at its own rhythm. Distillation is where innovation thrives. That’s where we influence the spirit without losing authenticity.”

The company’s custom-built copper pot stills help preserve uniformity and definition. Jammu’s natural environment does the rest. “Summers are warm, winters are crisp, and both have strong day–night contrasts,” he explained. “This variation promotes ideal interaction between wood and spirit. Our water source, pure and mineral-rich, adds clarity to the whisky.”

India’s temperature accelerates maturation, but Jammu’s geography adds poise. “One year of ageing here equals several elsewhere,” Prem Dewan said. “Yet it happens with balance, not haste. The outcome is layered complexity rather than intensity.”

Recognition and practice

Acknowledgement soon followed. DeVANS’ single malts have earned international distinction, reinforcing the quiet discipline behind their creation. Adambaraa won Best Indian Single Malt at the IWC 2025 in Las Vegas, while Manshaa received International Whisky of the Year at ISW 2025 in Germany.

“Such honours affirm years of disciplined work and a clear production philosophy,” Dewan said. Yet he quickly grounded the discussion. “Awards matter,” he said, “but maintaining quality is our real goal. We have detailed systems and trained teams ensuring each batch meets our benchmark. The bottles reflect a process we never compromise.”

From Jammu to the wider world

DeVANS’ legacy in brewing continues to influence its approach to whisky. “Brewing taught us control and hygiene,” Dewan said. “Those same principles guide our distilling operations. Precision ensures consistency, and consistency builds trust.”

Exports have expanded steadily. “We’re now present in the United States and Australia,” he said. “Canada and several other markets are in line. The response has been remarkable. International buyers appreciate our structure and purity, while Indian consumers feel pride seeing homegrown malts performing globally.”

Looking forward

Before we concluded, I asked Dewan about upcoming releases. He offered a glimpse without revealing too much. “Our production units are actively developing new ideas,” he said. “Fresh expressions and limited editions are in progress. Once ready, they’ll extend the GianChand narrative. Innovation is ongoing; it’s a part of our DNA.”

As the evening drew to a close, one thing was evident: Indian whisky no longer seeks validation. It has earned its standing through intent, technical precision, and an unwavering commitment to progress. GianChand represents that maturity; an Indian malt that speaks clearly, without excess, and leaves an impression built on substance.

What an Expedition it has been…….

Leave a reply

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.”

The MBA Thesis That Catapulted Indian Single Malt to the Global Stage

Leave a reply

The success story of Indian Single Malt (ISM) whisky in the global market place, pioneered by Bengaluru-based Amrut Distilleries, has been well documented. It is not only an interesting story, but also an inspiring one on how the Jagdales – father-son duo – the late Neelakanta Rao Jagdale and Rakshit Jagdale – hit upon the idea of making a breakthrough in the whisky landscape, dominated by Scotland.

Rakshit Jagdale, in a podcast ‘Expert Talk with Bhavya Desai’ recalls his student days at Newcastle University doing an intense one-year MBA programme. “It was a Sunday morning and I was strolling along Northumberland street, a busy shopping center in New Castle upon Tyne, when my father called up and asked what I was planning to do for my thesis. I said a theoretical project on supply chain management. He said ‘no, no… you should do a practical project’ and suggested ‘why don’t you check whether there is scope to sell Indian single malt whisky in Indian restaurants within Great Britain’ stating that Kingfisher and Cobra beers were quite popular in Indian restaurants there. My father asked me to check out whether there was demand for Indian single malt as an aperitif or a digestive. I said it’s a brilliant idea.”

Miniatures that captured the imagination

Neelakanta Rao Jagdale then sat down with the excise officials in Karnataka and had two cases of miniatures of single malt whisky sent over to New Castle. “It was in June when exams were going on. I went over to the Customs bond and duty paid and cleared one case. The packaging was very rudimentary with a black and white label with simple words ‘Amrut’. We knew our product was exceptionally good. The colour of the whisky was good, dark enough and natural. We don’t add any caramel, it is 100% natural. My father had sent 300 miniatures of 60 ml each in two boxes. It was a live project for the company. I did a lot of my survey in New Castle, Edinburgh in Scotland and in the Midlands. I visited several Indian restaurants and bars in Scotland and the response was amazing. Everybody liked it. Some said it’s a 10-year old whisky, some said its Irish, when I said it was Indian, it was a jaw dropping moment.”

On returning to India, Rakshit presented the project to the family board. “It took us two years to conform to the packaging standards of the European Union and on August 24, 2004, we launched Amrut in Café India in Glasgow. That is how the journey of Indian Single Malt whisky began.”

Making the Grade in Whisky Bible

Not to sit on these laurels, they set off on taking it to the world, creating Amrut Fusion which was next level to the Classic Indian Amrut. “Fusion is a completely different product. It is a combination of peated barley and unpeated barley, the former coming from Scotland and the unpeated from India. It is an 80:20 ratio. My father felt that as the Indian palate is accustomed to little bit of peat with Johnnie Walker Red Label and Black Label, they would like the combination. That was running in his mind.”

Explaining the process, Rakshit mentioned, “Fusion is matured for a longer period, five to five and a half years. The base malt, both peated and unpeated, is matured for four years and then we marry them and mature it again for nine months to one year, which gives it not only depth, but also complexity of flavours. When Jim Murray first savoured it in 2009 and found it unique and said there was no other product in the world that had this kind of combination. He loved Amrut and gave 97 of 100 in his Whisky Bible in 2010 and ranked it as the third finest whisky in the world.”

From humble beginnings in 1948 as a simple bottling company, Amrut is a name to reckon with. It moved on early into distillation and premiumisation and that has paid dividends. “We have reasonably come a long way. We have grown organically and we are happy with progress we have made.”

This is the third generation of the Jagdale family which is running the business, started by Radhakrishna Rao Jagdale in 1948. The fourth generation is getting ready and Rakshit mentions that ‘the time is right to discus with his son and niece to find out if they have any interest, prima facie, in carrying forward the rich legacy of my grandfather and father.”