Whisky : Amrut ‘Greedy Angels’ 10 Year Ex-Bourbon

Country/Region : India

ABV : 55%

Cask : Ex-Bourbon

Nose : Sweet aroma of brown sugar, honey comb, and rum raisin cake.  Beyond rich sugars lies eucalyptus, toasted oak, and floral cardamon and cinnamon.  Dried antiques, spicy cinnamon, and rosin reinforce the woody aroma.

Palate :  Lovely thick body that gives way to the dryness of cinnamon powder.  Sweet oily spices cover the palate; tobacco leaf, cinnamon, ground ginger, honey, black pepper, and cocoa.  The chocolate builds turning toward dark roasted cocoa pods or nibs.  A bit of bitter herbs, pressed flowers, and menthol come along with some melon and funnel cake near the finish.

Finish : Lingering old pipe and spun sugar.

Score : 8

Mental Image : Chocolate Roastery.

Something Similar :  Bowmore 26Y French Oak Barrique (similar bitter cocoa/nibs, less spice, more fruit)

Something Similar : Glenallachie 9Y SMWS 107.13 (similar tobacco/spice, less chocolate, more fruit)

Something Worse : Linkwood 29Y SMWS 39.180 (similar rosin/antiques, more tea/tannic astringency)

Notes :  This was wonderful and really set right my previous, slightly disappointing, experience with Amrut’s Greedy Angels.  While the 10 year peated ex-sherry edition did not match my admittedly lofty expectations, this was absolutely what I hoped it would be.  It was rich and bold in flavor, slightly dry from sustained wood contact in a hot environment, and with a finish that = lasted and lasted.  There was so much complexity to sift through in the dram, that I could easily sit with a single pour all night just watching different layers of flavor surface.

With the Angel’s Share in Bangalore upwards of 10%, after a decade, the majority of the cask is gone.  All that was left is a rich and thick single malt which Amrut vatted with a handful of sister casks to create each Greedy Angel’s release.  I imagine, considering volume loss to the Angels, that we are talking somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 casks in order to produce the 900 bottles that made up this release.

This truly is a wonderful bottle and its perfect for any fan of Amrut.  Whether or not it is worth the $800 price tag will no doubt depend a great deal on what you are comfortable spending on whisky— its clearly not a release for everyone.  While I loved this, I do not spend that kind of money on a bottle, so it is hard to say it is really worth it— at least personally— knowing I would never have spent that kind of money on an entire bottle.  But if you are looking for an excellent Amrut and money is no barrier, then this might just be perfect.

Picture Credit : The Whisky Exchange