For a long time, ordering an expensive whisky in India could be fairly straightforward. You knew the label, you knew the price, perhaps you knew its age statement, and that was often enough. Just the on the rocks and you are set to have a wonderful evening. However, that conversation is getting harder to have.
\n\nAt whisky tastings, enthusiast clubs and increasingly sophisticated bars, the questions have become more forensic. What cask was it matured in? Was it finished in sherry? Is it bottled at cask strength? What grain was used? How has India’s climate affected maturation? And, perhaps most revealingly: what exactly am I paying for? That's a question grabbing a lot of spotlight, especially so because of all the fingers being pointed towards actual alcohol and alcohol-flavoured beverages.
\n\nHere, the shift is part of a broader premiumisation of India's whisky market. Indian single malt sales were estimated at around 5,00,000 cases in 2025, up about 22% from the previous year, according to data cited by the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies. But the more interesting change may be happening not in the number of bottles sold, but in the kind of drinker standing behind the glass.
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Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/lifestyle
