Indian Single Malts Taking On Scotch

An increasing number of whisky enthusiasts not only in India but also abroad are vouching for Indian single malts simply because the quality now matches with leading international brands. Taking a cue from this trend, Devans Modern Breweries has stormed the Indian and foreign markets with its GianChand Single Malt Whisky that has been winning a series of awards, thus getting a big stamp of approval from its consumers. Prem Dewan, Chairman and Managing Director of the brewery says the trend of buying the costliest Scotch for status and aspiration is now phasing out. This is allowing Indian companies to compete with the best in the world.

Earlier, Indian single malt whiskies were not spotlighted at a posh restaurant in New York’s East village despite India being the largest whisky market in the world. However, over the past few years homegrown alcohol beverage players have revolutionised the scene with Indian single malts now poised to be the next big thing on the world stage, much like the Japanese whiskies. In the domestic market, Indian single malts have already outpaced the global bigwigs, accounting for nearly 53 percent of the total annual single malt sales in the country in 2023.

Globally too, Indian single malts have outshone their Scottish counterparts by bagging numerous coveted awards. “GianChand Single Malt Whisky, for instance, won big at the International Spirits and Wine Competition (ISWC) in London in 2023. The brand also won the ‘Best Indian Single Malt’ award at Ambrosia Awards in 2023 as also the Grand Gold at the Sprirtz Selection Award in November 2024, which speaks volumes about the quality of the expression,” says Prem.

A Nuanced Whisky

Renowned whisky critic Jim Murray bestowed his praise upon GianChand Single Malt Whisky, hailing it as the finest single malt to emerge from India in recent times. Paying homage to industrialist Dewan Gian Chand, who laid the foundation for Devans Modern Breweries in the 1940s, this premium single malt whisky bears his name with pride.

Its profile reveals a delightful sweetness reminiscent of pineapple drop candy, underscored by a subtle presence of vanilla and a delicate trace of barley. When sipped, the whisky unveils nuanced and delicate notes, attributed to the presence of thin oils. “Priced at ₹4,490 in Delhi, this remarkable creation is poised to leave a lasting impression on your guests, making it the perfect companion for serene rainy evenings” says Prem.

In addition to key regions within India, GianChand Single Malt Whisky has also expanded its footprint across Australia and the United States.

Pioneering Steps

Devans Modern Breweries is not a new name when it comes to producing malt spirits. It has been a pioneer and the biggest producer of quality malt spirits in India over the past three decades and more. “We have supplied our matured malt spirit to almost all the major liquor companies in the country at some point who would use the same for blending into their premium brands. We normally would mature our malts only for one year due to capacity constraints though we now have malt spirits which are even more than six years old,” informs Prem. These aged malt spirits would be utilised for the new expressions of GianChand Single Malt Whisky.

It has taken the company more than three years to work out the perfect approach right from the concept stage to the launch of the final product. The brand embodies and amplifies the distillery’s pioneering stature in the Indian alcohol beverage space. “We are already in the premium and experimental stage and the idea going forward is to come up with even better expressions to make the brand synonymous internationally with the finest liquor from India,” Prem states.

There is, no doubt, a rising competitive sphere in the single malt segment owing to the influx of numerous brands. While a few have been there for long, many have recently arrived, and probably a lot more are on their way, but at the end of the day, it is the quality that will sell.

“I must also add that the prospect of homegrown malt whiskies on the international stage looks quite optimistic and going forward, India will probably dominate the global export scene for single malt whiskies. It should not come as a surprise if Indian single malts outshine the Scotch whisky exports of single malts in the very near future,” Prem adds.

New Offerings

As an indicator of how leading domestic distillers are gung-ho about Indian single malts doing well not only on domestic turf but also in the international arena, new expressions are being launched with regularity. For instance, Devans Modern Breweries is working on introducing two all-new expressions of GianChand Single Malt Whisky which should be available shortly in selected markets.

The company’s upcoming offerings include a craft gin to be launched in April, expressions of GianChand Single Malt Whisky finished in speciality barrels and a premium blended whisky as also some RTDs.

A Growing Passion

With no mechanism or study to ascertain as to what chunk of consumers or buyers are women or youth, Prem thinks that giving statistics about the demographic categorisation for Indian single malts is not feasible.

As for market strategies engaging different demographics, it will surely be leveraged in the near future with upcoming launches. The one thing that everyone in the industry agrees about is that the Indian consumers do value the quality and craftmanship of single malts and it is for this reason, they have shifted significantly from imported single malts to Indian single malts.

The unique attributes and flavours of Indian single malts have made them a hot favourite among Indian as well as international consumers. While many looked down and ignored Indian single malts till some time back, they now mostly prefer Indian single malts over even the Scottish ones. There has been a sea change in the perception about Indian single malts across all age groups. Sometime back no one had thought this was possible, but the quality of the brands has compelled consumers to take note.

Also, the craze for Indian single malt whiskies is universal across regions. “While it is understandable that the initial sales would predominantly be from the Indian consumers but the demand is surely percolating slowly and steadily into other ethnic groups. The initial major sales would naturally be from the bigger cities where the consumers are willing to spend more to experiment,” Prem points out. As such, metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune have taken the lead. 

Level Playing Field

While state-wise import duties, excise levies and logistics are a considerable part of the cost, Prem says, these do not really have much impact on the MRP of the single malts due to the high cost of the product. However, there is a bigger question of some states offering lower duties and even lower entry fees on imported products leading to higher MRPs of Indian liquors which works against the interests of the domestic manufacturers and adversely impacts their sale. India is probably the only country in the world where such a situation is allowed to exist.