Amrut Distilleries

Last updated

Amrut Distilleries Ltd
Company type Privately held company
Industry Alcoholic beverages
Founded Bangalore, Karnataka, India (1948 (1948))
FounderJ.N. Radhakrishna Rao Jagdale
Headquarters
Rajajinagar, Bangalore, Karnataka
,
India
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
  • Neelakanta Jagdale (Chairman and MD)
  • Surrinder Kumar (VP, Production) [1]
Website www.amrutdistilleries.com

Amrut Distilleries Ltd is an Indian company that produces distilled beverages. It is best known for its eponymous Amrut brand of single malt whisky, which is the first single malt whisky to be made in India. [2] The brand became famous after world famous whisky connoisseur Jim Murray gave it a rating of 82 out of 100 in 2005 and 2010. In 2010, Murray named Amrut Fusion single malt whisky as the third best in the world. [3] [4] [5] John Hansell, editor of American magazine Whisky Advocate, wrote that "India's Amrut distillery changed the way many think of Indian whisky - that it was, in the past, just cheap Scotch whisky blended with who knows what and sold as Indian whisky. Amrut is making whisky, and it's very good". [6]

Contents

Despite the fame the company has received for the single malt whisky, it accounted for only 4-5% of the company's revenue in 2011–12. The bulk of its revenue comes from the sales of brandy, rum, vodka, gin and blended whisky, particularly the Silver Oak brandy, Old Port rum and Prestige whisky brands. [3] [4] [6] Approximately 20% of its revenue comes from supplying the Canteen Stores Department. [3] Amrut Distilleries currently sells Amrut single malt whisky in 23 countries, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, [7] Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States. [3] [4] [8]

History

Founder JN Radhakrishna Rao Jagdale established a company called Amrut Laboratories in Bangalore, Karnataka in 1947, with an initial investment of a few hundred thousand rupees. [9] Amrut is a Sanskrit word which can be translated as "nectar of the gods", [4] [10] "nectar of life", [11] or "drink of the gods". [12] The company translates it as "Elixir of Life". [13] Following the liberalization of alcohol licensing laws, distillery licenses were easier to obtain. Jagdale took the opportunity to enter the liquor market by founding Amrut Distilleries Ltd in 1948. [14] Today, Amrut Distilleries Ltd operates as a subsidiary of the N.R. Jagdale Group, [15] an Indian industrial group, based in the city of Bangalore. [1] The first plant was a liquor blending and bottling unit, specializing in Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL). [1] [16] The current main distillery was built in 1987. [17] It is located on a 4-acre (1.6 ha) site [6] in Kambipura on Mysore Road, [18] roughly 20 kilometres from Bangalore. [6] [19] [20]

Amrut Distilleries launched its first brand called Silver Cup brandy in Karnataka in 1949. The company began supplying liquor to the Canteen Stores Department in 1962 and continues to supply some of its domestic brands to the military. [4] Radhakrishna Jagdale's son, Neelakanta Rao Jagdale, joined the family business in 1972. The higher standard of living that was becoming more prevalent in the country led to a higher demand for good quality liquor. [14] Radhakrishna died in 1976, and his son assumed the role of chairman and managing director of the company. [9] The company faced difficulties until the 1990s, as good equipment was not available locally. According to Neelakanta Jagdale, "The alcoholic beverages industry was not a priority in the country. Although we received help to a certain extent from the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), we had to find our own ways to learn about improved distilling methods". [14]

In 1982, Jagdale had decided to create a premium whisky from barley [6] blended with malt, while most distillers in India were manufacturing whisky using molasses. Amrut Distilleries began using locally grown barley, in addition to molasses, [19] and launched Prestige Blended Malt Whisky in the Canteen Stores Department in 1986. [4] The first batch of single malt whisky was ready within 18 months. Because India had no culture of consuming single malt at the time, the company did not consider bottling it as a single malt. Instead, the whisky was blended with alcohol distilled from sugarcane to produce MaQintosh Premium Whisky. [17] Initially, Amrut aged malt whisky for around a year before blending it. However, due to changing customer preferences, less malt whisky was being added into blended variants. [4] The company discovered that hot weather makes whisky mature faster in India than it does in Europe or the United States. The fraction lost to evaporation during ageing, known as the angels' share, is also higher in India, at 11–12% per year, than in Scotland, where the annual evaporative loss is about 2%. [4] Surinder Kumar, the master blender at Amrut Distilleries, has estimated that one year of barrel-ageing in India is equal to three years of ageing in Scotland. [6] Jagdale felt that "the taste profiles were much better, almost matching some of the 12-year-old [Scotch] whiskies". [4] The company then decided to launch their whisky in the European market. [4]

A bottle of Amrut Single Malt Whisky. Amrut singlemalt whisky 2013-06-11 18-39.jpg
A bottle of Amrut Single Malt Whisky.

In 2001, Neelakanta Rao Jagdale asked his son Rakshit Jagdale, who was pursuing an MBA course in Newcastle, England at the time, to investigate the potential of exporting their products to that country. [6] Consultants Tatlock and Thomson Ltd of Scotland [19] were hired to help hone the company's processes at their Bangalore distillery. [6] Amrut Distilleries conducted blind tests of their single malt whisky in Scotland, where most consumers said they liked the drink and compared it to Speyside single malts. [4] [21] [5]

The whisky, under the brand name Amrut Single Malt Whisky, debuted in Europe on 24 August 2004. [22] [21] [4] [23] The company faced difficulties convincing European distributors and consumers to try the product, as most believed that a good single malt could not be produced in India. According to head of international operations Ashok Chokalingam, the initial strategy of offering the product in restaurants was dropped, as "the resources needed are too high, both financial and human". They switched their focus to retailers and bars. [6] Following the UK launch, the brand spread across Western Europe and the Scandinavian countries within two years. [2]

On 4 February 2010, Amrut Distilleries held a tasting session in Bangalore to launch their single malt whisky. The brand began retailing in Bangalore the same month. [19] Domestically, it continued to be available only in Karnataka [2] until November 2013 when it was launched in Mumbai. [24] The company went with a Scottish launch for marketing reasons. According to Neelakanta Jagdale, "From a marketing perspective, we thought if our product had to pass the test, why not do so in the toughest location. Scotland is the home of Scotch. If they acknowledge our single malt, then that's good enough for me". [14] The company also feels that "the high entry costs and complex excise laws in different states are a deterrent to further expansion in India". [4] [17] The brand was launched in North America in April 2010. Purple Valley Imports is its distributor in the United States. [2]

Production

Amrut Distilleries began with a single blending and bottling unit, specializing in IMFL. [1] [16] Amrut's current main distillery was built in 1987. [17] It is located in Kambipura on Mysore Road, [18] roughly 20 kilometres from Bangalore. [6] [19] [20] In addition to the original distillery, company also has a re-distillation plant to produce extra neutral alcohol for captive consumption and a bottling unit in Kerala. [9] [25] The company decided against using computers and automation in their distillery in favour of providing more jobs to people. [17] The Bangalore distillery employs 450 people. Its distillery operation is highly labour-intensive and bottles are manually packed. [26] Most of the staff at Amrut Distilleries involved in bottling and packaging are women. [20] The distillery produces 4 million cases of liquor a year, of which about 25% are blended whisky and around 0.25% are single malt. [17] The barley for the malt is grown in the Punjab and Rajasthan regions, and transported about 2500 km (1600 miles) to the distillery. [27]

Amrut Distilleries is headquartered in the Rajajinagar neighbourhood of Bangalore. [28]

Products

Amrut Distilleries manufactures whisky (blended and single malt), brandy, rum, vodka and gin. [29]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scotch whisky</span> Malt or grain whisky distilled in Scotland

Scotch whisky is malt whisky or grain whisky, made in Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whisky</span> Distilled alcoholic beverage

Whisky or whiskey is a type of liquor made from fermented grain mash. Various grains are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden casks, which are typically made of charred white oak. Uncharred white oak casks previously used for the aging of port, rum or sherry are also sometimes used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diageo</span> Multinational alcoholic beverages company

Diageo plc is a British multinational alcoholic beverage company, with its headquarters in London, England. It operates from 132 sites around the world. It is a major distributor of Scotch whisky and other spirits. Distilleries owned by Diageo produce 40% of all Scotch whisky with over 24 brands, such as Johnnie Walker, J&B and Old Parr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grant's</span> Scotch whisky

Grant's is a blended Scotch whisky, produced by the company William Grant & Sons in Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnnie Walker</span> Scotch whisky

Johnnie Walker is a brand of Scotch whisky produced by Diageo in Scotland. It was established in the Scottish burgh of Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire in 1820, and continued to be produced and bottled at the town's Hill Street plant, once the world's largest bottling plant, until its closure in 2012, a decision announced by Diageo in 2009 which would bring the 190-year association between the brand and Kilmarnock to an end.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Grant & Sons</span> Scottish alcohol distillery

William Grant & Sons Ltd is an independent, family-owned Scottish company that distills Scotch whisky and other selected categories of spirits. It was established in 1887 by William Grant, and is run by Grant's descendants as of 2018. It is the largest of the handful of Scotch whisky distillers remaining in family ownership.

Murree Brewery ; PSX: MUREB) is a Pakistani multinational manufacturer of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. It is Pakistan's largest and oldest producer of alcoholic products. In 2015, it produced 10 million litres of beer, along with hundreds of tons of single malt whisky, vodka and brandy. Founded by the British in 1860, it is a publicly traded company listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange, and its products are exported to India and Bangladesh. In 2014, the company established a flagship store on Park Avenue, in Manhattan, New York City. In 2013, it was named by Forbes as one of Asia's 200 best companies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardhu distillery</span> Whisky distillery in Speyside, Scotland

Cardhu distillery is a Speyside distillery near Archiestown, Moray, Scotland, founded in 1824 by whisky smuggler John Cumming and his wife Helen. The distillery is now run by Diageo and the distillery's Scotch whisky makes up an important part of the Johnnie Walker blended whiskies. The word "Cardhu" derives from the Scottish Gaelic Carn Dubh, meaning "Black Rock".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian whisky</span> Type of distilled liquor produced in India

As of 2006 most distilled spirits labelled as "whisky" in India were a form of Indian-made foreign liquor, commonly blends based on neutral spirits that are distilled from fermented molasses with only a small portion consisting of traditional malt whisky, usually about 10 to 12 percent. Outside India, such a drink would more likely be labelled a rum. According to the Scotch Whisky Association's 2013 annual report, unlike in the European Union (EU), "there is no compulsory definition of whisky in India, and the Indian voluntary standard does not require whisky to be distilled from cereals or to be matured. Very little Indian 'whisky' qualifies as whisky in the EU owing to the use of molasses or neutral alcohol, limited maturation and the use of flavourings. Such spirits are, of course, considerably cheaper to produce than genuine whisky." Such molasses-based blends made up 90 percent of the spirits consumed as "whisky" in India in 2004, although whisky wholly distilled from malt and other grains, was also manufactured and sold. By 2004 shortages of wheat had been overcome and India was one of the largest producers. Amrut, the first single malt whisky produced in India, was launched in Glasgow, Scotland in 2004. After expanding in Europe it was launched in India in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">German whisky</span> German beverage

German whisky is a distilled beverage produced in Germany made from grains traditionally associated with the production of whisky. The distillation of German-made whisky is a relatively recent phenomenon having only started in the last 30 years. The styles produced resemble those made in Ireland, Scotland and the United States: single malts, blends, and bourbon styles. There is no standard spelling of German whiskies with distilleries using both "whisky" and "whiskey" and one even using "Whesskey", a play on the word whisky and Hessen, the state in which it is produced. There are currently 23 distilleries in Germany producing whisky.

Royal Challenge, commonly referred to by the abbreviation RC, is a brand of Indian whisky, manufactured by United Spirits Ltd (USL), a subsidiary of Diageo. It was launched in the early 1980s. According to Binod K. Maitin, a United Breweries technician who oversees all the liquor blends for the company, Royal Challenge is a grain flavored whisky, blended with Scotch malts and Indian malts. In an article for The Wall Street Journal, reporter Eric Felton states that, "About 12% of the blend comes from real malt whiskies: some of it made in India, some actual Scotch. The rest of the mix is a neutral spirit distilled from molasses. That means that, strictly speaking, Royal Challenge, like most Indian "whisky", is actually a rum flavored to pass as whisky." The manufacturer has refused to state the percentage of Scotch whisky used in the blend. In the United States, Royal Challenge is referred to as "spirit whisky". Besides India, Royal Challenge is sold in several other countries including the Middle East and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amrut (whisky)</span> Brand of Indian single malt whisky

Amrut is a brand of Indian single malt whisky, manufactured by Amrut Distilleries. It is the first single malt whisky to be made in India. Amrut (अमृत) or amrit is a Sanskrit word which can be translated as "nectar of the gods", "nectar of life", or "drink of the gods". The company translates it as "Elixir of Life". The brand became famous after whisky connoisseur Jim Murray gave it a rating of 82 out of 100 in 2005 and 2010. In 2010 Murray named Amrut Fusion single malt whisky as the third best in the world. John Hansell, editor of American magazine Whisky Advocate, wrote that "India's Amrut distillery changed the way many think of Indian whisky – that it was, in the past, just cheap Scotch whisky blended with who knows what and sold as Indian whisky. Amrut is making whisky, and it's very good".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul John (whisky)</span> Brand of Indian Single Malt Whisky

Paul John Whisky is a brand of Indian single malt and single cask whisky, manufactured by John Distilleries. The brand launched in London, England on 4 October 2012. Paul John Whisky is made from Indian 6-row malted barley and, for some variants, imported Islay and Aberdeen peat, distilled in traditional copper pot stills and then matured in charred American Oak casks at the company's distillery in Goa, India.

John Distilleries Pvt Ltd is an Indian company that produces distilled beverages, and the company's flagship brand is Original Choice whisky. It also manufactures brandy, whisky, wines, and the award winning single malt whisky called Paul John. The founders have sold 51% of the company to Sazerac Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Dog (whisky)</span> Brand of blended Scotch whisky

Black Dog is a brand of blended Scotch whisky produced by the Indian beverage company United Spirits Limited (USL), a subsidiary of Diageo.

United Spirits Limited, abbreviated to USL, is an Indian alcoholic beverages company, and the world's second-largest spirits company by volume. It is a subsidiary of Diageo, and headquartered at UB Tower in Bangalore, Karnataka. USL exports its products to over 37 countries.

Radico Khaitan Ltd. (RKL), formerly Rampur Distillery & Chemical Company Ltd., is an Indian company that manufactures industrial alcohol, Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), country liquor and fertilizers. It is the fourth largest Indian liquor company. Radico brands are sold in more than 85 countries, including USA, Canada, South America, Africa, Europe, South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McDowell's No.1</span> Brand of Indian Spirits

McDowell's No.1 is an Indian brand of spirits manufactured by United Spirits Limited (USL), a subsidiary of Diageo. It is USL's flagship brand and the largest umbrella spirits brand in the world, comprising three categories – whisky, brandy and rum. The brand also has bottled water and soda. The brand began with the launch of McDowell's No.1 Brandy in 1963–64. The brand's slogan is No1 Yaari Ka No1 Spirit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of whisky</span> Outline of the knowledge of whisky

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to whisky:

Allied Blenders & Distillers is an Indian-made foreign liquor company, headquartered in Mumbai, India. It is a major distributor of whiskey, rum, vodka, brandy and other spirits, and exports to 22 countries around the world.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Management Team". Amrutwhisky.co.uk. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Ishani Duttagupta (29 April 2012). "How India's first single malt brand Amrut Distilleries cracked luxury market in West". The Economic Times . Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Now, Amrut Distilleries mulls premium rum". The Financial Express . 6 October 2010. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "High Spirits". Outlook . 18 February 2012. Archived from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  5. 1 2 "Raising a toast". The Telegraph. Kolkota. 14 March 2010. Archived from the original on 24 June 2013. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "The malt of India". Business Standard . 18 February 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  7. ↑ "The whiskey diaries". GlobalPost. 26 May 2009. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  8. ↑ "Awards Pour in For Amrut Distilleries". WhiskyIntelligence.com. 30 March 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  9. 1 2 3 "About Amrut Distilleries". Amrutdistilleries.com. Archived from the original on 8 July 2013. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  10. ↑ "Fusion whisky: When Glasgow met Gangtok". Life.nationalpost.com. 16 March 2011. Archived from the original on 24 June 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
  11. ↑ "Outlook Business". Amrut Distilleries. Archived from the original on 14 July 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
  12. ↑ "Whisky - Scotsman.com". Whisky.scotsman.com. 13 April 2004. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
  13. ↑ "Amrut Single Malt". Amrutwhisky.co.uk. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "Bangalore's Amrut Distilleries hHigh on success". Daily News and Analysis. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  15. ↑ "Amrut Distilleries Ltd: Private Company Information". Bloomberg BusinessWeek. Archived from the original on 24 June 2013. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  16. 1 2 "Chairman's Statement". Amrutwhisky.co.uk. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mahalingan, Kripa (18 February 2012). "High Spirits; Amrut Fusion is the only Indian brand to find global acceptance in the rarefied world of single malt whiskies". Outlook Business. Amrut Distilleries. Archived from the original on 14 July 2013. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  18. 1 2 "Kambipura to Edinburgh". The Hindu . 3 March 2005. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 Poornima Mohandas (5 March 2010). "Blend it like Amrut". Livemint. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  20. 1 2 3 "The malt of India" (PDF). Business Standard. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 July 2013. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  21. 1 2 "India's 'chocolate-ty' single malt finds favour with Scottish palates". Island.lk. 26 August 2004. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  22. ↑ "Amrut launches its whisky in Scotland". The Economic Times . 26 August 2004. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  23. ↑ William Lyons (25 August 2004). "Currying favour with Indian whisky". The Scotsman. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
  24. ↑ "Amrut Fusion: Bengaluru whisky one of the world's best single malts". 1 May 2014 – via The Economic Times.
  25. ↑ "About Amrut Distilleries". Amrutwhisky.co.uk. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  26. ↑ "Destination Bangalore: Amrut Distillery - World Whisky Review". Connosr.com. 15 March 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  27. ↑ "Amrut". www.whisky.com.
  28. ↑ "Contact Us". Amrutwhisky.co.uk. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  29. ↑ "Products", Amrut Distilleries (website). Retrieved 22 June 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.