Review: Bhakta Indian Single Malt 2012
Vermont-based Bhakta Spirits rose to prominence via highly aged brandy, particularly Armagnacs dating back to 1868. The brand more recently dipped its toe into rum and whiskey, with both finished bourbons and American ryes hitting the market over the past two years. It was only a matter of time before Raj Bhakta’s latest venture looked to whisk(e)y abroad.
Bhakta’s latest release is a 10 year, 4 month old Indian single malt. The liquid itself was sourced in collaboration with Ocean King Distillers. It’s a double copper pot-distilled single malt made from 100 percent Indian 6-row malted barley. After the initial decade of aging, the spirit was shipped to Vermont and finished for 131 days in Bhakta 1982 Armagnac barrels.
According to the brand, the release pays homage to it’s founder’s heritage; Raj Bhakta is a half-Indian, half-Irish first-generation American.
The final product is bottled at a robust 113.8 proof. Let’s see how it tastes!
The nose kicks off with smoked and grilled fruits, including pineapple, plum, and apricot; a tiny thread of tart pomegranate juice helps keep the cooked fruits grounded, and they never quite veer into campfire territory. The secondary notes build with force after time in the glass, and the whiskey really only noses at its full 113+ proof after about five minutes. At that juncture, grilled fruit and smoke shift to caramelized sweet Vidalia onion, cracked cardamom pods, and roasted malt grain. The overall combination is equal parts vegetal and grain-forward — with just enough lingering fruit to keep the narrative consistent. Intriguing!
The first sip is sweet and smoky, the former more table sugar than fruit. Sugar eventually evolves to smoked maple syrup with a touch of oak, the kind one might find at a distillery gift shop that ages it in bourbon barrels.
About that smoke: it builds across the front and midpalate to borderline peaty territory. Some of that cardamom carries over from the nose, along with lightly salted pistachios. (It’s not quite as honey-sweet as baklava…but close!)
Peat smoke wrestles its way into the driver’s seat by the finish, beating out a promising touch of oak along the back of the palate. That’s just the tiniest letdown that leaves the finish a little flatter compared to the attack. Still, there’s plenty of substance — aided by a little residual cooked fruit — to give drinkers something to chew on at the end.
The brand recommends a drop or two of water. I tested that out and found the dilution helped keep the tropical fruits more present throughout the sip. That would be my recommended method of enjoyment.
113.8 proof.
A- / $149 / shopbhakta.com
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