For fans of whisky looking for something new or different to explore, the choices and options beyond the shores of Scotland grow more and more each day. Many of the so-called “new world” malt whisky countries now have industries that have at least a decade under their belt (e.g. Taiwan, India, the USA and, of course, Australia) and the whiskies from these countries are now firmly established. Paul John whisky, from India, is a brand that burst out of the starting blocks 2012, and has been going from strength to strength ever since. The new Paul John Mithuna release, together with the excellent Oloroso expression, take things to the next level again.
John Distilleries Pty Ltd, the company behind the brand, has been in the spirits business since 1992, and turned its hand to producing single malt in 2008. With its first release of matured spirit four years later in 2012, by 2015 Paul John had expanded to have a core range consisting of Classic, Brilliance, Bold, Peated, amongst others. (You can read Whisky & Wisdom’s early thoughts on these whiskies in our 2015 article here). Things went up a notch in 2017 with the release of their special Oloroso bottling, and the range is now increasingly exotic with three new expressions now available in Australia: Nirvana, Oloroso, and Mithuna. Our tasting notes and reviews for these three are presented further below, but first some general background information on each one….
As a general comment, the whiskies of Paul John don’t beat around the bush. They are typically bottled at higher strengths (e.g. 46-48% ABV, and some expressions weigh in at 55-58%) and they’re non-chillfiltered. Nirvana bucks the trend, and has been created as a stepping stone for those looking to transition from lighter-style blends to their more heavy-weight single malts. As single malts go, Nirvana is a lighter style, and whilst it will certainly appeal to those coming into the category, one suspects it won’t do much for established malt drinkers who prefer more body and depth to their drams. That being said, it will find favour with those who prefer, for example, the lighter Speyside or Lowland malts of Scotland. RRP is $75 (Australian dollars)
When we last explored the initial Oloroso release and spoke to Mr Paul John himself (see 2017 article here), it was a one-off, single cask bottling that yielded just 252 bottles. Paul John has now released a new expression of Oloroso that will form part of the core range. The whisky has been finished in ex-Oloroso casks, and the first release from Batch 1 (bottled May this year) will knock the socks off anyone who enjoys sherry-matured whisky. RRP is $150 (Australian dollars)
Mithuna is the big-hitter, and is part of Paul John’s Zodiac series. (The previous release was Kanya). It’s unpeated, non-chillfiltered, and was matured initially in virgin American oak casks before being finished in ex-bourbon casks. It’s big, it’s sweet, and it’s juicy. RRP is $280 (Australian dollars). And for those that put weight on such things (and we’re not one of them, mind you!), Mithuna scored a whopping 97 in Jim Murray’s 2021 bible and was named “Third finest whisky in the world”.
And so to our tasting notes and thoughts….
Nirvana, 40% ABV
Nose: Sweet, barley malt. A touch of lime, counterbalanced by tanned leather. The early hit of lime expands into a more diverse and colourful basket of fruit.
Palate: A little thin in mouthfeel, it’s a lighter whisky…very much akin with some lighter Scottish malts such as Auchentoshan, or perhaps young Glenkinchie. There’s a grassy note to the palate that doesn’t deviate much.
Finish: Slightly bitter and vegetal.
Comments: The nose is captivating and appealing, although the palate doesn’t quite match it for complexity or depth. It’s certainly a lighter whisky in both body and style, and seems like it was made for hot-weather drinking or possibly enjoying in a high-ball.
Oloroso, 48% ABV
Nose: Soft, appealing sherry notes: Treacle, glace cherries, Christmas fruitcake, and soaked raisins.
Palate: The textbook sherry notes are all here…Christmas pudding, dried fruits (dates, figs, apricots), and brandy sauce. However, there’s also an intriguing bitterness in the form of dark chocolate, bordering on mocha coffee that comes through on the tail end.
Finish: The dark chocolate – with hints of choc-orange – and coffee notes linger for a long finish.
Comments: Serve this blindfolded to any Scotch fan, and I guarantee they’ll guess it’s a Glenfarclas, Macallan, Glendronach, or Tamdhu. It’s simply your classic sherry bomb, and a great one at that. The ABV on this is near perfect, offering the perfect ratio of flavour to heat.
Mithuna, 58% ABV
Nose: The enticing, dark mahogany colour hints at something rich and decadent to come, and the first aromas to waft out of the glass fulfil that promise. There are strong notes of burnt vanilla (ala crème brulee), shellac, polished furniture, oak, dark toffee, and also some coffee notes.
Palate: The higher ABV of 58% immediately delivers a powerful hit of flavour, but it’s all in check and not at all aggressive or overly-spirity. Lots of dark chocolate, mocha coffee, Turkish delight, and perhaps also some rum’n’raisin. Wonderfully sweet, without being cloying or artificial.
Finish: There’s a cooling mintiness that comes on the tail, and it’s a little drying as the sweetness dissipates and some wood tannins come through.
Comments: A belter of a whisky, this should be top of the shopping list for anyone who likes big, juicy, sappy, whiskies. Importantly, the spirit is still vibrant, spritely, and lively. As much as the oak has had a big say, it’s not dominated the whisky, and the dram certainly isn’t weighed down by wood….merely superbly shaped by it.
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Whisky and Wisdom’s previous articles on Paul John tell the story of the distillery, and the challenges of maturing whisky in a hot, humid climate. (The angels’ share varies from 8-10% across its warehouses!) If you’re keen, you can read up on more of that detail here but, suffice it to say, whisky-making in India has to be done largely on its own terms to suit the materials and the climate. Paul John uses Indian-grown six-row barley, yet sticks to most of the rules and guidelines of Scotch whisky (such as a minimum three year maturation period). The results speak for themselves, and there’s no better sign of quality and success than when a major drinks company comes knocking and looks to acquire a stake in the business. The Sazerac Company (the largest family-owned spirits company in the USA and owners of Fireball, Southern Comfort, Buffalo Trace and Pappy van Winkle) now has a significant stakeholding in John Distilleries. Grab a bottle of Oloroso or Mithuna and find out why!
Cheers,
AD
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PS…you might also like our article on another Indian whisky, namely the Indri Trini “Three Wood“.
