5 Indian Whiskies Worth Seeking Out

Indian whisky has undergone a significant transformation over the past decade. Today, Indian producers are making great distillate and letting the country’s hot climate do the rest of the work on the spirits aging in barrels, resulting in some truly excellent whisky. These are the five best Indian whiskies, as determined by The Daily Pour’s Critics’ Score, a proprietary metric that aggregates and averages ratings from the internet’s most trusted beverage critics. Minimum of one review required per bottle.

5. Rampur Indian Single Malt Whisky Double Cask

ABV: 45% | Price: $87

Produced at Rampur Distillery in Uttarakhand, at the foothills of the Himalayas, the Double Cask expression is matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks and bottled non-chill filtered at 45% ABV. Made from 100% malted barley, it carries no age statement but delivers a profile that The Whiskey Wash describes as broadly scotch-adjacent while showing flavor notes less common in the Scottish tradition. Remarkably drinkable, it represents an accessible entry point into serious Indian single malt at a price that undercuts most of its competitors on this list.

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4. Amrut Kurinji Indian Single Malt Whisky

ABV: 46% | Price: $115

Amrut is the oldest major Indian single malt producer and remains the benchmark for the category’s international credibility. Kurinji is an unpeated expression sourced from the hills of South India and named for the Kurinji flower, which blooms once every 12 years. Matured in Bangalore’s high-altitude climate — cooler than most Indian distillery locations, which moderates the aging pace — it is bottled at 46% ABV without chill filtration. In Whisky Advocate’s review, it noted pear and white grape macerated in dessert wine on the palate, with ground ginger, salted caramel and milk chocolate, finishing on vanilla pod, forest honey, fruit skins and malted milk.

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3. Godawan Series 02 Indian Single Malt

ABV: 46% | Price: $64

Produced in Rajasthan, one of India’s hottest distilling environments, Godawan uses locally sourced six-row barley distilled in copper pot stills with a 55 to 65-hour fermentation cycle. Series 02 is aged in cherry casks and finished in bourbon casks that have been conditioned with ayurvedic botanicals — an unusual finishing technique that reflects the brand’s regional identity. The extreme Rajasthani heat drives a high angel’s share and accelerates maturation. Whisky Advocate describes the palate as zesty and fruit-forward, with raspberry, watermelon, cherry, Love Hearts candies fizzing with spice, backed by apple, pear, tart yellow plum and red gooseberry.

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2. Paul John Mithuna Indian Single Malt Whisky

ABV: 58% | Price: $290

Produced at Paul John Distillery in Goa, Mithuna is part of the brand’s Zodiac Range and represents one of the most ambitious expressions from one of India’s most decorated distilleries. Matured in first-fill American virgin oak and finished in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels, it is bottled at cask strength at 58% ABV. The Whiskey Reviewer described an oak presence impressive for a 5-year-old whisky, describing it as a bold, complex and enjoyable expression that genuinely surprised. At $300 it is the priciest bottle on this list and makes the case that Goa’s tropical climate can produce whisky with genuine structural depth at a young age.

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1. Indri Drú Single Malt Indian Whisky

ABV: 57.2% | Price: $85

Indri Drú is the cask strength expression from Piccadily Distilleries in Haryana, Northern India, and it’s earned the top Critics’ Score on this list. Made from six-row barley grown on a single farm, floor malted and distilled in pot stills, it matures in ex-bourbon casks in a subtropical climate where annual evaporation reaches 10% to 12% — roughly five times the Scottish average — compressing years of flavor development into a shorter window. Whisky Advocate noted a “fathomless pool” of dark chocolate at its core, supported by orange, vanilla, praline, clove, warm honey and Brazil nut, noting that it takes water well and reveals further layers with dilution.

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