Whisky : MaQintosh Silver Edition Whisky

Country/Region : India/Blend (Amrut)

ABV : 42.8%

Cask : Refill (?) Ex-bourbon (?)

Tasting : Neat in a Glencairn @ HWG Series #2 

Nose : Sweet grains with a light nuttiness.  A faint and mildly sweet acetone drifts in the background.  The nose is uncomplicated, but you can definitely tell its alcohol.

Palate : Opens with a delicate and floral vanilla, followed by blueberries and freshly cut lawn grass.  Faint clove and cardamon spice are carried on a smooth, if not a bit thin, body.  It is easy to drink straight up and mild enough to disappear in a mixer. In a word; inoffensive.

Finish : Brief as sweeter notes fade right away with a mild spicy heat.

Score : 3

Mental Image : A baked potato.  A fine if unimpressive food that is best consumed with accouterments.

Something Better : Johnnie Walker Black (more intensity of flavor, smoke, longer finish)

Something Similar : Kirkland Signature 12 Year Blended Scotch (more complex, more oak, less finish)

Something Worse : Johnnie Walker Red (slightly more rubbing alcohol, less complex)

Notes : MaQintosh is a blended whisky by Amrut geared towards the domestic Indian market. In the US we would refer to it as a bottom shelf whisky— affordable, tastes like whisky, usually served in mixed drinks. MaQintosh is a blend of malted barley and distilled grains, primarily sorghum I am told. Sorghum is an affordable grain with a neutral flavor profile, it is an ideal filler to help keep the price of a blended whisky down— and, like vodka, a faintly sweet spirit perfect for making mixed drinks. The use of sorghum helps account for the mellow sweet grassy profile of MaQintosh.

For most of its history Amrut was a blender, importing whisky produced in Scotland and blending it with local spirits. The MaQintosh label has been one their best selling domestic whisky products in India. It has only been in the last decade— and really only in export markets, that Amrut has become well known for their excellent single malts.

MaQintosh is not the worst blended whisky I have ever had— nor the worst grain heavy mash-bill.  It’s not very complex and the whole of the Amrut single malt lineup towers over it in terms of the depth and complexity of the flavor profile.  While it was alright, I won’t be searching it out again any time soon.  I think I’ll stick to my Amrut single malts.