Rampur PX Sherry Finish

A superb 48 cask limited release single malt direct from the foot of the Himalayas.

The Rampur PX Sherry Finish is a limited release of 48 casks. Aged initially in Bourbon casks, they have been finished in Spanish Pedro Ximenez (PX) sherry butts. If you’re unaware of what PX is, it’s a very sweet, very dark variety of sherry style fortified dessert wine.

Following on from award winning distilleries such as Paul John and Amrut, India is a surprisingly good climate for whisky maturation. Which is why this isn’t the first Indian whisky we’ve featured. We’ve done Amrut whiskies in the past and they have all received amazing feedback from members.

On first thought, you may not think of the Indian climate to be ideal for maturing whisky but on further examination it makes perfect sense. Whisky maturation is all about the interaction between the wood of the cask and the spirit. So, the more you can get the spirit to interact with the wood the faster maturation can happen. A variation in temperature will act to expand and contract the wood of the cask – effectively pumping spirit into and out of the wood of the casks.

With Rampur being slightly elevated (average 1021m) they get hot days, but cooler nights. This variation in temperature of around 14 degrees C is vastly different to (say) the average Scottish temperature variation of around 8 degrees in summer (and less in winter). So the spirit is being ‘processed’ by the wood of the cask at a vastly different rate – up to 5 times as fast in fact.

Nose: Wow – marzipan, apricots and peaches with sawdust around the edges and the occasional waft of fresh washed linen. 

Palate: A big lychee burst to start, melting into marshmallow, caramel and stewed fruit with hints of vanilla and honey. 

Finish: A warming, medium finish with dried fruit and cloves.