Indri Founder’s Reserve 11 Year Old has sold out at Harrods within weeks of its UK launch, marking the Indian single malt brand’s first listing at the Knightsbridge retailer.
Produced near the foothills of the Himalayas in Indri, Haryana, the whisky is matured for 11 years in ex-Bordeaux red wine casks and bottled at a cask strength of 58.5% ABV. It is the work of master blender Surrinder Kumar, widely credited as a driving force behind India’s premium spirits revolution. The distillery’s subtropical climate, where summers reach 50°C and winters drop to freezing, accelerates maturation dramatically: around 10 to 12 per cent of the spirit evaporates from the cask each year, compared with roughly two per cent in Scotland.
Surrinder Kumar, Master Blender for Indri, said: “India’s terroir doesn’t lend itself to prolonged ageing, as around 10% of the spirit laid down in cask evaporates each year. Left for a decade or more, and the remaining whisky is extremely precious and complex. Indri’s tropical ageing means that spirit matured for a year in India is equivalent to three to four years of ageing in Scotland’s cool climate, placing our Founder’s Reserve 11 Year Old in the same category as a Scotch whisky between 30 and 35-years-old.”
On the nose, the expression opens with dark fruits and warm spices, giving way to cherries and red plums alongside vanilla, oak and subtle wood spice. The palate is full-bodied and predominantly fruity, with nutmeg, ginger, citrus and vanilla emerging alongside toffee and milk chocolate. The finish is long and indulgent, with stewed orange, jammy sweetness and a long dry close.
The limited-edition expression is restricted to 1,100 bottles globally and priced at £350. It remains available through selected specialist retailer Whisky Brokers Associates
