Country: India - Goa
Distillery: Paul John
Type: Single Malt
Age: NAS
Cask: 2nd & 3rd fill ex-Bourbon
ABV: 40%
Proof: 80
Price: $30
Nose: That beeswax! Great notes of tropical fruits, caramel with malty and sourdough like yeasty character.
Palate: Classic creamy Paul John texture. Bourbon like honey sweetness with baking spices, barley notes. Incredibly juicy for a 40%abv whisky
Finish: Surprisingly longer than expected. A medium to long finish with velvety texture. Smooth, round with orange zest, vanilla and mango.
Paul John Nirvana is the newest addition to the core range of
the Indian distillers Paul John, as their entry level single malt whisky. And honestly, this looks like a good decision already!
Their core range having least abv of 46%, Nirvana's low proof and lighter profile was definitely needed to offer the fans a starting option to their line. This has the same backbones with their unpeated whiskies like Brilliance (46%) and Kanya (50%), which was in my Best Whiskies of 2018 list.
Paul John uses their famous six-row barley from footsteps of Himalayans which results in that creamy texture and abundance of tropical fruits. Also this whisky is important as it is the first official offspring of distillery's 2nd fill bourbon barrels. As I have tasted cask samples from their 2nd fill bourbon barrels and also virgin oak barrels, I can say you haven't tried anything yet! Thus, Nirvana is a real good example of what to come in the future.
Let's come to the best part. Whisky prices are getting higher due to tariffs, taxes, limited editions, marketing issues and so on. However, Paul John Nirvana is set at an astonishing price tag of $30.
It looks like we will see this bottle more this year at retail stores and at bars. Other Asian whisky brands like Nikka and Kavalan have also been creating entry level whiskies at a more affordable price range than their core ranges. Market is getting hotter every second.
Find Bozzy's Nirvana review here.
Also check out 5 great Nirvana cocktail recipes from The Minty! She prepared amazing cocktails for the tasting with Southern California Whiskey Club.
