To celebrate the 10th anniversary of their Amrut Fusion expression, Indian distillery Amrut released a special Amrut Fusion X.
It is a combination of unpeated Indian barley distilled in 2010, with Scottish peated barley distilled in 2014. These spirits rested in first fill and second fill American oak barrels before being finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry butts for a total of 4 years.
The whisky comes in a ceramic bottle with a picture of their deceased master distiller Mr. Jagdale.
Amrut Fusion X (50%, OB 2020, Pedro Ximénez sherry butt finish, 1010 btl.)
Nose: a great combination of tropical fruits and sherry. Sour berries, pineapple on syrup, with generous vanilla notes. It’s a nice tangy fruitiness with a marked sour edge, which balances the marzipan notes, brown sugar and caramelized woody notes. A heady, almost mentholated note lingers in the background. A faint chalky edge and leather. A delicate puff of smoke too, but the peat is only marginal.
Mouth: the crisp sourness is still there, but it refers to tobacco leaves now, as well as sour berries, plums and lemon peels. Then baking spice comes forward (ginger, nutmeg), making it drier. Some minty notes too, as well as an earthy smoky layer and a hint of cold coffee in the background. Drops of herbal extracts too.
Finish: medium, with more sweet-and-sour notes, warm woody hints and some herbal sherry.
This Amrut Fusion X shows an interesting mix of sweet, sour and sherried elements. Add to this some peated notes and you have a fairly complex whisky. A rather uncommon whisky as well, as there are very few references for this style. Still available from The Whisky Exchange or Master of Malt for instance.