Country: India - Goa
Distillery: Paul John
Type: Single Malt
Age: NAS
Cask: 1st & 2nd fill ex-Bourbon
ABV: 46%
Proof: 92
Price: $73
Nose: Signature honey flavors with citrus. Sea spray with ash blending in with vanilla
Palate: Soft and creamy start progressing into a spicy palate with toasted oak, cocoa, Manuka honey and white peppers with a mouthful peat smoke.
Finish: Impressive copper notes with sea brine, cocoa, earthy peat!
Paul John Bold is the third bottle in their Flagship Range consisting of Brilliance, Edited and Bold. Every whisky in this range is showing a different aspect of the whisky from the Indian distillers. Brilliance is an unpeated show, Edited is a gorgeous mildly peated one, and Bold is living up to its name, being Bold! They also have an unpeated entry-level whisky called Nirvana, which is lighter and younger but still with the same DNA.
Why Bold?
As for all their whiskies, Paul John uses their famous six-row barley from the footsteps of Himalayans which results in that creamy texture and abundance of tropical fruits. Paul John Bold excels here as the barley is peat-smoked with Islay peat that was imported from Scotland and brought down to India!!!
The whisky is distilled twice in copper pot stills and left to age in first and second fill ex-bourbon barrels for six to 8 years.
How Does It Taste?
Paul John Bold is one of those whiskies that you taste once and possibly want to taste again since the complexity is often misunderstood. The nose has the signature Paul John flavors of honey. It is accompanied by citrus, cinnamon and tropical fruits. Sea spray and ashy notes appear afterward with some vanilla.
The palate starts soft and creamy. It progresses in a spicy way and brings out toasted oak, cocoa and Manuka honey. Going forward to the finish, peat smoke takes over with white peppers.
The finish is my favorite part. Starts coppery and finds the balance with a briny character. Earthy peat, cocoa, coffee! Lovely.
Verdict
If you are an Islay whisky fanatic and looking to try a good Asian whisky, Paul John Bold is one of your best shots!
