This Indian Whisky Has Just Been Crowned ‘Whisky of the Year’

Piccadilly Distilleries, the creators of the well-loved Indri Single Malt, have hit a milestone. Their Indri Single Malt Indian Whisky was just crowned ‘Whisky of The Year’ at the 2024 USA Spirit Rating Awards.

The whisky won five medals, the most ever won by an Indian single malt. Indri Dru, bottled at 57.2% ABV and priced at INR 7,136, took home three big awards—’Best Spirit of the Year by Country,’ ‘Single Malt Whisky of the Year’ and the top prize, ‘Whisky of the Year.’ It also earned a ‘Gold Medal’ with a score of 95 points, while Indri Trini, bottled at 46% ABV and priced at INR 4,847, also scored a ‘Gold Medal’ with 90 points.

But it didn’t stop there. At the International Whisky Competition (IWC) 2024, Indri’s Founder’s Reserve 11-Year-Old Wine Cask, bottled at 58.5% ABV and with price available on order, scored 95.09 points, earning it an eighth-place finish. This made it the only Indian whisky to break into the ‘Top 15 Whiskies of The Year.’

The USA Spirit Rating Awards are different from other international competitions because they judge spirit based on three critical criteria: quality, value and packaging. To win, a spirit has to score well in all three categories. 

Earlier this year, Indri Dru brought home a ‘Gold Medal’ from Meininger’s International Spirit Awards in Germany and then another from the Tokyo Whisky and Spirits Competitions. Meanwhile, Indri Founder’s Reserve 11 YO Wine Cask also won a ‘Gold Medal’ at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. 

“When I heard that Indri had won the ‘Whiskies of the Year’ award for 2023, I decided to try the Indri Trini for myself. I was truly impressed by the complexity of this whisky. The flavors were remarkable, with distinct notes of caramel weaving through the full-bodied profile of the spirit. In my opinion, the entire Indri whisky range represents some of the finest offerings India has to present,” says Parbinder Singh, a whisky enthusiast from Delhi.

The International Whisky Competition is held every year and is known as one of the most important whisky awards in the world. A group of whisky experts—including Masters of Scotch, Masters of Bourbon, Certified Spirits Judges, Master Blenders, Distillers and Whiskey Experts—carefully taste each whisky without knowing its name to find the best in different categories. The competition’s tasting panel uses a thorough method, judging each whisky based on 15 criteria to create detailed tasting notes, as well as aroma and flavor profiles. Unlike other contests, judges sample one whisky at a time to give each the attention it deserves. It’s also unique in that it offers specially designed medals to highlight each winner, with only three medals (Gold, Silver, and Bronze) awarded per category. The whisky with the highest score earns the prestigious Golden Barrel Trophy as the Whisky of the Year.