Artisan Spirits

Product: Eclipse
Category: Whisky
Producer: Artisan Spirits (A wholly owned subsidiary of Sula Vineyards)
ABV: 42.8%
Bottle size: 750 ml
Price ex Delhi: Rs. 1250.00

A couple of years back, a vodka distilled from grapes was introduced in the global market. It stirred the purists’ hornet’s nest . How could a vodka be made from grapes? Many debates and representations later, the concerned tipple continues to retain its nomenclature as well as a dedicated fan following.

India’s largest wine producer Sula, has charted a similar course with its first ever whisky called Eclipse. Launched in Jan 2017, the whisky goes against the generally accepted norm for a whisky as a grain based product. Eclipse contains a certain percentage of grape spirit too, which makes it a unique proposition.

My first encounter with Eclipse was on a challenging note- at a blind tasting with nearly all genres of  world whiskies. There was a particular whisky  that had most of us flummoxed. It appeared close to a light and fruity lowland malt albeit with a peaty finish. Being something new on the palate, we could only hazard a considered guess-  in my case  a particular Speyside whisky matured in two types of barrels.

Needless to say, I felt quite stupid when the shrouds were removed to disclose Eclipse.  The consolation however was that nobody else could get within  smelling distance (pun intended) of Eclipse. And better, I landed a prize in the tasting, thanks to some old favourite brands that I could discern correctly.

What’s in a Name?

So what is Eclipse all about? In the words of Yogesh (Yogie) Mathur, VP Manufacturing at Sula Vineyards, who is also the Master Blender of the whisky, the name itself implies “auspicious beginnings” that a solar eclipse symbolizes. According to Yogie, Eclipse is modern yet traditional, the twist of grape spirit  imparting it a mellow and smooth experience.

The blend of Eclipse constitutes matured grape spirit, grain spirit, malt scotch (I am told that it is from Loch Lomond distillery in the Scottish Western Highlands) and 4.5 years peated malt spirit from a top producer in India. The whisky is aged in Limousin oak barrels (Cognac casks) after its assemblage- a discreet advantage of Sula’s association with renowned French group Rémy Cointreau .

The Habillage

The  somewhat squat, rounded bottle of Eclipse has a petite form factor which makes it convenient to hold.  A glossy label and a high resolution plush motif in the front imparts it a luxurious feel. But the real surprise comes as you try to unscrew the bottle cap like a regular whisky bottle. Eclipse’s  Fabrizio closure telescopes out, which means that you don’t have to remove the cap to pour out the whisky. The  sideways pouring aperture gives a similar output like other standard pourers,  surely a welcome detail for proponents of free pour.

 

According to Yogie, they used the Fabrizio closure with the environmental concern of eliminating plastic waste, as the said closure can be removed in its entirety at the time of recycling the bottle. A noble thought indeed!

The spoiler though, is the ubiquitous  Excise  sticker, the remnants of which refuse to budge even after the most earnest peeling attempt. The excise guys have done their job well, but being unmindful of the aesthetics.

Initially starting at 5000 cases, Sula is targeting 15000 cases of Eclipse this year with the possibility of commencing exports in the near future. The whisky is placed in the same segment as  Teachers Highland Cream, 100 Pipers  and VAT 69- brands that are already in the firmament. But there is no dearth of consumers wanting to explore and that is where Eclipse can score a point, something which is being validated by its accelerating sales.

Eclipse is presently available in Delhi, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana with more Indian states to follow.

Tasting notes

Colour: Amber-gold
Nose: Lemon grass, orange peel, wild flowers, vanilla
Palate: A distinctly malty first impression with a hint of sweetness, in all likelihood due to the grape component. The flavor profile develops into citrus fruits and sweet spice, followed by a peatish finish.

 

 

The Verdict

Eclipse is likely to appeal to those who enjoy light and  fruit forward whiskies without particularly overwhelming attributes such as peat, iodine et al. Its flavour profile  is inclined towards malt whiskies from the Scottish lowlands and its smoothness emphasizes its premium demeanour.

My recommendation to savour Eclipse would be  in a 1:2 ratio  with chilled water or with 5-6 ice cubes gradually diluting the tipple.

But try it, you must!

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Last week ended on a heady note for me. As I received a call from Prarrthona Pal Chowdhury, Head Marketing, Brandy Project & International Brands  at Sula Vineyards proposing a private tasting of Janus- their recently launched premium brandy- I  agreed on it despite the short notice. Having already read about the Mumbai tastings of the brandy, I was eager to taste  it at the earliest, and here was a ready opportunity.

But why was I so keen to taste an Indian brandy after having experienced many international brands of repute? Simply because Janus happens to be the first 100% grape brandy produced in India. Then what exactly are the rest? For that let us first try to understand brandy in the right perspective.

What is a brandy?

The word  “brandy” originated from “brandewijn” – a Dutch term for burnt wine. In olden days when wine was being transported in barrels through the tardy sea route, there were frequent cases of spoilage owing to climatic variations and uncontrolled storage conditions. A workaround to this problem saw wine being distilled, dramatically improving the shelf life of this “burnt wine”, which was then consumed at the destination diluted with water.

But there is more to brandy than just “burning” wine. Evidence of its use in medicine over the centuries is aplenty. It has since then evolved as a refined alcoholic beverage, largely revolving around two aspects- Geographic Indication and Oak Ageing. Hence we know Cognac, Armagnac and other fine brandies the way they are.

The Brandy classification however applies to any fruit originated spirit and not just grapes. Hence we have Calvados (an apple brandy), Poire Williams (a pear brandy) and so on. But grape brandy has been most prevalent with its recognized high antioxidant and  remedial properties. Probably the reason why the French coined the special term Eau de vie meaning “water of life” for this elixir.

Given this background, it becomes imperative that when we buy a brandy for its virtues, it should  be a 100% grape spirit rather than a blend of other distillates. In the Indian context (also in majority of Asian region) the latter is quite common with even grain based spirits finding their way inside the blend . Hence the arrival of a home grown 100% grape brandy  as Janus has come as a welcome development for connoisseurs of fine beverages in India.

The Blind Tasting

My tasting experience at Prarrthona’s behest involved  three samples poured out of nondescript bottles with a simple premise- to discern the smoothest one and to guess which one could probably be Janus. The “simple” agenda though, had more to it as she further told me that samples other than Janus could be anything- whisky, rum, or another brandy.  The task looked uphill but I decided to be patient and go over the samples in three iterations as follows:

• Ruling out by exception.
• Identifying typical traits of each sample.
• Confirming my findings through a rerun.

Here is how it went (my inferences shown in parentheses):

Iteration # 1 : Colour and Aromas only.

Sample 1: Light coloured with unmistakable malt notes amongst others. (most probably a whisky).
Sample 2: Glowing amber colour, a honeyed nose accompanied by  citrus fruit aromas (undecided).
Sample 3: Deep gold with peaty nose (a scotch whisky for sure).

Iteration # 2 Aromas and Palate.

Sample 1: Malt notes confirmed with floral and sherry notes. (reasonably sure about whisky).
Sample 2: Sweet spice and floral notes with the smoothest finish of all (betting heavy on brandy)
Sample 3: Deep gold with peaty nose. Rich flavours but not so smooth (a whisky for sure)

Iteration # 3 Confirmation.

Sample 1: Earlier observations confirmed. (This is a whisky).
Sample 2: Most likely this is Janus.
Sample 3: Definitely a whisky.

As I conveyed my opinion to Prarrthona, she was delighted the same way as I was. For her, it was the vindication of confidence in her brand which she had so boldly pitted against other reputed ones. For me, it was a reassurance of my primal senses related to beverages appreciation.

Having known which one was Janus, I could now dwell  leisurely to analyse it as a brandy. I found that apart from the smoothness it had a refined feel that was inclined towards the Cognac style replete with a full body and a fruity and spicy character.

Prarrthona told me that the Cognac orientation of Janus was a given since the product had started as a collaboration between Remy Cointreau and Sula. With the exit of Remy Cointreau from India as a business rehash and  selling of their assets (including brandy stocks and equipment) to the Indian winemaker, Janus continues to be produced using the same equipment (pot stills, limousine oak barrels etc)  that was specially  imported from Remy’s facility in France. French Master Blender, Yonael Bernard  has purposefully created a smooth and distinctive blend that carries the Cognac character with aplomb.

Currently Janus is available in Goa at ₹ 1500.00 / ₹ 395.00  for a 750 ml  / 180 ml bottle. I am told that it will soon to be launched in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore followed by other cities pan India.

But isn’t it a marketing challenge to convince the average Indian consumer to buy a significantly higher priced brandy when there are lesser “brandies” that sell at nearly half the price? Prarrthona tells me that they see Janus as having no competition in the current brandy market owing to its entirely different niche. However, she acknowledges that they will have to conduct awareness campaigns to educate the consumer on this aspect.

In the meantime, I have found a perfect local companion for my “Sidecar”