Gin & Whisky Masterclasses Draw Aficionados to Madhu Mandapam

Luxury Spirits Consultant and Founder of Drams with Drama, Angad Singh Gandhi, led two spirited masterclasses at Madhu Mandapam that put ABD’s Arthaus Collective Blended Malt Scotch Whisky and Zoya Special Batch Gin at centre stage. The sessions drew a packed house of whisky and gin aficionados, novices and hospitality students, and combined close sensory tasting with a conversational deep-dive into what sets these drinks apart from their contemporaries.

Arthaus, described as India’s first blended malt Scotch whisky, has been crafted by Master Distiller Arun Barik by skillfully blending five malts from Scotland’s Highlands and Speyside. Explaining the geography that shapes many of Scotland’s great malts, Angad Gin & Whisky Masterclasses Draw Aficionados to Madhu Mandapam told the audience, “Highland and Speyside are in the northern part of Scotland. If the River Spey flows near a distillery it is Speyside; if it doesn’t, it’s a Highland distillery.” For Indian drinkers, Angad noted, whiskies from Highland and Speyside tend to be predominant in the market.

Perhaps the most striking aspect of Arthaus is its creative DNA. Rather than leaning on age statements or family lore, the brand draws its name and visual identity from art. “Whisky making is an art and so is drinking it, and that is why it has been inspired by the bauhaus style of art,” stated Angad. This is reflected in the bottle’s contemporary artwork that lends the expression a gallery-worthy feel that Angad suggested would resonate with younger consumers seeking something different.

During the masterclass, guests were served Arthaus Collective Blended Malt Scotch Whisky along with plain crackers, dark chocolate and still water to cleanse the palate between sips, allowing them to pick apart the dram’s subtle aromas and flavours.

On the nose, the whisky presented a pronounced vanilla note, an influence of ex-bourbon cask, alongside oak, caramel and a citrus lift of orange. Cinnamon also made a marked appearance. Angad advised that “this spirit opens up considerably with a little water,” revealing further aromatics. The palate follows through with dark chocolate and oak, finishing with warm spices such as cardamom and a peppery whisper towards the end of the sip. Those characteristics, he said, make the whisky versatile at the table. “This whisky will go well with some cheese like cheddar, and also with some meat,” he said

Meanwhile, the masterclass on Zoya Special Batch Gin emphasised a very different set of virtues. Describing the spirit as “very light on the palate,” Angad said, it leaves no lingering aftertaste or overwhelming spice, qualities bartenders prize when they want a spirit that mixes cleanly rather than dominating a cocktail. Guests were offered a G&T and also an opportunity to taste the gin neat to understand its base character.

Angad outlined the gin’s botanical profile as including mango ginger, juniper berry, angelica seeds, rosemary, coriander, clove, orange peel, cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla, strawberry, lemon and caraway. “A lot of citrus and spicy flavours are blended with a bit of sweetness from mango and strawberry,” Angad explained, adding that the result “layers beautifully”.

Angad pointed out that some brands use upwards of 47 botanicals which is “too many”. In his view, botanicals used in any gin should be under 20 to preserve the complexity consumers want without letting any single botanical overpower the spirit. Singling out mango-ginger as an unusual and forward-thinking choice in Zoya Special Batch Gin, Angad said, “Mango-ginger is that one botanical that I had never seen people using. It’s a special type of ginger. And the producers did an out of the box innovation here.” That willingness to experiment, he said, shows that Indian gins are not simply copying foreign recipes but evolving their own profiles.

Angad also touched on gin styles and production in his masterclass. From London Dry and Plymouth gins to contemporary styles that embrace many botanicals, the beauty of gin, he said, lies in small-batch, hand-crafted production, which gives distillers greater control over botanical balance.

While summing up the sessions, Angad noted, “Youngsters today do not want to drink what their fathers have been drinking. They want something cool and edgy for today’s times.” And Arthaus and Zoya, with their balanced flavour profile, fit that bill.