It is for the first time ever that sales of homegrown single malts have overtaken those produced by global giants. The desi malts cornered a share of @ 53% of total sales last year; of the total 9 litre cases of 6,75,000, around 3,45,000 cases were retailed by Indian origin makers while the remaining 3,33,000 were accounted for by Scottish distillers and others. From being mocked till about 15 years ago, Indian whiskeys have become the toast of single malt aficionados all over. It is also heartening to note that Paul John, a storied Goan brand with it's distillery at Cuncolim has contributed a lot to the popularity of Indian whiskey. Scottish distillers are generally very traditional and orthodox in their processes while we like to experiment. Also India's tropical weather leads to faster maturing of spirits in wooden casks which lends it a unique flavour; the younger generation is always looking out for something different and our indigenous liquor doesn't disappoint. Indian wines have found acceptability around the world for the last decade and exports are climbing exponentially, time for the whiskeys to follow suit.
