Shortly after Kanya won the award for Asia’s top single malt, Ruma Singh bumped into a thrilled Paul John at Bengaluru airport and extracted a promise for an interview. Excerpts from the interview follow
Indian single malt whiskies have never had it so good. Awards and international recognition have come thick and fast over the last several years. In October 2017, “Paul John Single Malts” added a new feather to its already festooned cap, when the latest addition to its growing portfolio of whiskies, “Kanya by Paul John” was named Asian Whisky of the Year by famous whisky critic Jim Murray’s “Whisky Bible 2018”.
The name is Indian and so is the whisky, but it is a softer, gentler expression. Paul John is the Bangalore-based businessman owner of John Distilleries, maker of “Big Banyan Wines”, “Paul John Single Malts” and proprietor of the luxury lakeside property in Kerala, “Kumarakom Lake Resorts”.
Jim Murray, English writer and journalist, known for his definite opinions and in-depth scrutiny of single malts, said Kanya was “superb”! “Even towards the finale there is still Manuka honey to be found… when a distillery can find honey at the very end of its flavour range and profile, you know they have cracked it.”
Congratulations on “Kanya by Paul John” being named Asian Whisky of the Year by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2018. It achieved this by beating off some serious competition. Can you give us some background on Kanya?
Well, during the regular course of tastings of the barrels that we have, we occasionally discover some exceptionally good barrels. These we use to create extraordinary limited editions. Kanya was discovered in this manner. This particular expression was found to be gentle and smooth. It was recognised as a rare find, and so we created Kanya.
How did you hear about the recognition and what was the reaction of your team?
この記事は Sommelier India の January/February/March 2018 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Sommelier India の January/February/March 2018 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Intimate and Welcoming
Reserve a table at AI Garamond in the centre of Turin for a taste of authentic Piedmonteset and Sicilian cuisine
Tribute to the Kerala Kitchen
Kappa Chakka Kandhari is a restaurant like no other. Chef Regi Mathew, the presiding genius, speaks to Kaveri Ponnapa about how the award-winning restaurant, specialising in the homecooking of Kerala, came into being
SWIRLING IN THE DIGITAL ERA - How social media is influencing wine culture
The ever-evolving world of wine is currently witnessing a significant shift towards social media. Devati Mallick steers us through the many ways one can navigate the digital landscape with a simple click, tap, or swipe
Bottling It - The times they are a-changing
Wine in glass bottles has been traditional for a very long time but now change is a-foot, says Carol Wright. The carbon foot print of the glass bottle is not planet friendly
BANDOL - The ruby in the Provence crown
If you thought Provence was only about rosés, you are wrong. Bandol, one of the more prestigious appellations of Provence, is renowned for its bold and structured red wines. Here's what Elizabeth Gabay MW has to say
A Splendid Septet of Wines
Raymond Blake tastes seven vintages of the Burgundy premier cru, Gevrey-Chambertin 'Aux Combottes', from Domaine Dujac, owned by the Seysses family
CYPRUS Dawn of a New Era
On a recent visit to Cyprus, Rosemary George MW is struck by the island's numerous indigenous grape varieties and high altitude vineyards
Madeira The world's longest living wine
Carol Wright on what makes Madeira the 'hottest' thing in wine
AT THE FOOT OF MOUNT ETNA
Altitude, fertile volcanic ash, and abundant sunlight create a unique environment for vineyards
Putting their best foot forward
Craig Wedge is bullish about the rising quality of Australian wines entering the Indian market
