Review #937 - Single Malts of India (Amrut) Neidhal
Amrut is a prominent Indian distillery, but they actually produce an independent bottling line as well: Single Malts of India. With this brand, they source whiskies from other Indian distilleries, and generally the original producer is not disclosed. That's the case here with the first Single Malts of India bottling, which arrived in 2021 - they've called it Neidhal, which translates roughly to 'coastal region.'
The distillery which this single malt was sourced from was indeed a coastal distillery; they also tell us that this is a peated whisky. There's no mention of the cask type used for mature this whisky, but based on our tasting notes, we think it could be ex-bourbon casks, or potentially a mixture of bourbon casks and sherry casks.
Single Malts of India (Amrut) Neidhal
India - Single Malt
Price: USD 89 (2026)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 46% ABV
Details: Batch no. 01, bottled July 2021
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 17 months; bottles at 50%, 90%, and 60% (blind tasting) fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: That peat smoke is mild, maybe building to a medium influence; it's savory, with charred wood and bacon notes, but also some barley influence and a relatively strong funky side. Damp moss, wet hay, mild oak, and some estery scents are accents.
Palate: The mouthfeel has a medium thickness. Very malty with hay, vanilla, and floral notes, but also a strong tropical fruit side which brings nectarine, mango, oranges, and grapefruit. The smoky peat is soft; sea salt, bacon, and wood char arrive later.
Finish: Nectarines, lots of oily and tart fruit, but also some grassy notes, or hay and herbs. Soft oak, a bit of wood smoke, and oranges combine with vanilla in the aftertaste. It's a bit more drying now overall; this finish has a medium length.
Final Note: This is a fun and characterful single malt from Amrut and their Single Malts of Scotland brand. We actually wish we knew which distillery it originally came from, as we would love to explore more whisky from that distillery. A fun mix of fruit, funk, smoke, and malty notes... very pleasant and interesting.
Value for this bottle is decent; the price we've seen in our area is around $90, and for a whisky with this much complexity, we think it's a fair price.
Our Rating: 7.3 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.57
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
