Paul John Christmas Edition 2022 Single Malt Indian Whisky (700ml)

Crafted from malts finished in ex-bourbon, brandy and peated Oloroso casks, this is the 5th Edition of the limited Christmas Edition series from the award-winning distillery. 46% Alc./Vol.

Other reviews... Can a whiskey taste like Christmas? What would that mean, anyway—pine needles, peppermint, reindeer dung and cheer? Indian distillery Paul John’s new 2022 Christmas Edition single malt tastes like none of that, thankfully, but it does actually sip like a holiday whisky—which is an impressive feat. A little background on the distillery first—Paul John is located in Goa on India’s west coast, and is one of the better known brands in the rising tide of Indian single malt whisky. The climate there is tropical and humid, meaning the whisky matures faster. To be precise, that means the liquid interacts with the barrels more kinetically than in a cooler, milder climate like Scotland or Ireland, but more so than in Kentucky which cools down quite a bit in the winter. The whisky is distilled from six-row barley and matured onsite, with a high angel’s share of eight to ten percent as opposed to Kentucky’s four or five percent. There are many different expressions available from Paul John to try, and this is the fifth installment of the Christmas Edition... It’s easy to get caught up in the holiday spirit and envision this as having Christmasy flavors because of the packaging, marketing and power of suggestion. That being said, check out these tasting notes (and hopefully the actual whisky) and see what you think. The nose starts out with figgy, malty aromas, along with some fresh wood and a bit of licorice. There’s also a whiff of fireplace smoke in the background, perhaps from that whisper of peat. On the palate, there’s fruit cake (in a good way), cinnamon, raisin and—stick with me here—a tiny hint of candy cane peppermint. On the finish, there’s some dark syrupy berries, caramel, and a soupçon of savory jus. That’s Christmas apps, dinner and dessert all in one sip. - robbreport.com

Notes from the producers... Nose: Rich aromas of sweet oak, dry spice, baked apples and peaches, enhanced with dark chocolate. Palate: Soft and sweet flavours of mellow peat, orange dark chocolate, and a light peppery spice laced with delicious plum cake and butterscotch.

Finish: Deep, creamy and lingering with a profuse hazelnut laced with dark chocolate.