In order to make the celebration special and any moment memorable, the presence of whiskey in India is essential. There are a lot of whiskey fans who make it a part of a tiring day, inside or out, apart from parties. Intake of whisky also works as a medicine for warming up the body to fight against cold and cough.
So, when it comes to looking for a whiskey brand, there are endless options willingly available in India. There are popular whisky brands like Officers choice, Royal Challenge, Director’s Special and Original Choice who are some of the affordable and popular brands in India.
Then some have started becoming a part of people’s whiskey collection in recent years, including Blenders Pride, Imperial Blue, McDowell’s Signature, so on. Interestingly, the list of premium whiskey brands in the country is as varied as the fans themselves. Catering to the choice of all whisky lovers, we have come up with India’s top ten whisky brands that fulfil alcohol needs and purposes.
List of Top Whiskey Brands in India
| Brand Name | Establishment Year | Head Office |
| Blenders Pride | 1995 | Mumbai, India |
| Mc Dowell’s No. 1 | 1963 | Bangalore, India |
| Royal Stag | 1995 | Gurugram, Haryana |
| Officer’s Choice Whisky | 1988 | Mumbai, Maharashtra |
| Director’s Special Whisky | 1988 | – |
| Royal Challenge United Spirit | 1980 | Kolkata, India |
| Imperial Blue (IB) Whisky | 2000 | Mumbai, India |
| Bagpiper | 1976 | New Delhi, India |
| Whiskin Craft Whisky | 2013 | New Delhi, India |
| The Rockford Reserve | 2015 | New Delhi, India |
1.Blenders Pride
Blenders Pride is a premium Indian whisky brand, founded by Pernod Ricard in 1995. A single bottle of whisky is a blend of foreign-made Scotch malt and divinities of Indian grain with no unnatural or artificial aroma. It is eagerly accessible in packages of 2L, 1L, 375ml, 750ml, and 180ml. you would love to know that this company is considered clean & pungent by GQ publication, and ranked among 10th best whisky brands in India.
Along with Royal Stag, Chivas Regal, Imperial Blue, 100 pipers, Pernod Ricard has recognized this brand as five popular types of companies to develop its whiskey market in the country. This whisky brand has a reasonable price, reliable consistency, and an exceptional flavour that’s why count among India’s top whisky brand. It contains more cardiac glycosides acid than red wine. Moreover, it has various health benefits if consumed in small amounts.
2. Mc Dowell’s No. 1
Mc Dowell’s No. 1 is a subsidiary of Diageo and is an Indian brand of liquid manufactured by United Spirits Limited. Being one of the largest canopying whisky brands in the world, it gains immense popularity in India as well. Apart from whisky, the company manufactures water bottles and soda. With the tag “Mera No. 1”, the company introduce itself in 1963-64. It Whisky manufactures by Mc Dowell’s No. 1 is one of the finest cocktails under 1500 in India, which is quite affordable and prominent.
The brand is itself popular due to offering premium quality whisky, soda, and rum which is ideal for parties & events to create a lot of memories. Be you’re a beginner or alcohol enthusiast, whisky from this brand would be a great choice as it has the least level of alcohol. If you’re not ok with whisky, you can try something different like brandy, rum under the label Mc Dowell’s No. 1. Being one of the finest whisky sellers worldwide, it is the first choice of every whisky lover. Mc Dowell’s No. 1 whisky ranges between Rs. 410 to Rs. 1500.
3. Royal Stag
Royal Stag is also known as Seagram’s Royal Stag. It is an Indian beverage brand established in 1995 by Pernod Ricard. Whisky by Royal Stag is available in different pack sizes in numerous countries throughout the world. Being one of the top-selling products, it has become popular among several whisky lovers. Each bottle of whisky is a blend of foreign scotch malts and spirits from wheat. Their bottles are typically manufactured in 1 litre, 375ml, 750ml, and 180ml, and are also available in a pack of 60ml and 90 ml.
Very few people know that Royal Stag was the first whisky brand in India that didn’t use any artificial flavour. Along with Seagram’s Blenders Pride, Seagram’s 100 pipers, Chivas Regal, Pernod Ricard, Seagram’s Imperial Blue has explained this brand as the corporation’s five important brands in India to products its beverages and alcohol business. It is one of the affordable, highly rated and premium whisky brands with no added artificial flavours. You can buy one whisky bottle for under 1000 INR easily. Some people consider this brand as a classic whisky brand in India.
4. Officer’s Choice Whisky
Officer’s Choice is an Indian whisky company formed by Allied Blenders and Distillers. It is considered to be one of the world’s foremost spirit companies. Smirnoff Vodka surpasses Officer’s Choice to become the world’s best-selling alcohol product in 2015. This brand’s whiskies are made from grain, which is usually collected from treacle. Founded in 1988, this company has ruled over 18 countries why it is considered to be the highest exported whiskey brand.
Officer’s choice whisky is premium yet lead’s this business with a perfectly crafted malt mix that is completely flavourful. Their whisky is neither too costly nor too cheap, thus you can easily buy a premium quality whisky at an affordable price in India. More importantly, their whiskey is made with neutral spirits from India, meaning it can be consumed by a novice or whiskey lover.
5. Director’s Special Whisky
If you’re looking for an affordable whisky brand in India, Director’s Special Whisky would be the better choice. It was introduced in 1988 as DSP by United Spirits Ltd, a company of the Diageo Corporation. It attracts consumers with its prominent packaging and different fancy bottle structure. Being one of the finest whisky brands in India, it is popular for offering decent flavour. This Indian brand is focused on treacle. This is one of the leading whisky brands in India under Rs 2000 if you want to choose a prominent product of whisky. Its whisky has a powerful fragrance and pleasant taste. It offers India’s premium Scotch whisky bottle with a blend of hand-picked malt and barley.
6. Royal Challenge United Spirit
Royal Challenge is an Indian liquor brand formed by United Spirits Limited. Royal Challenge United Spirit is a grain-flavoured whiskey, purified with Indian malts and Scotch malts. The brand was first introduced in India in the year of 1980s. This whisky brand manufactures cheaper and finest whisky than a mixture of scotch or single malt Scotch whisky. It is one of India’s premium companies of whisky, rare Scotch and Matured Indian malt Whiskies.
The scotch that blends into every bottle of Royal Challenge is imported directly from Scotland. It is one of the leading Indian whisky brands in the world that give inimitable taste and different character. Whisky by Royal Challenge is more accessible and affordable than single grain or single malt whisky.
7. Imperial Blue Whisky
It is one of the top whisky brands that are available in the Indian market. It was established in 1997 and steadily became one of the foremost whisky brands in India. Presently, it has billions of customers worldwide, making it a premium brand. You can buy this whisky at an affordable cost. Their whisky comes in a perfect combination of imported scotch malts and Indian grain spirits for beautiful smoothness. The brand is promoting a premium product at an affordable price with extraordinary texture, flavour with no added artificial flavours and colours. The whisky bottle by Imperial Blue Whisky in India starts from Rs. 404.
8. Bagpiper
Bagpiper is a leading Indian whisky brand that are introduced in 1976 by United Spirits Limited. This brand manufactures whisky in a rectangular bottle with golden black packaging. It makes tamper-proof containers. The company also introduced the tagline of Khoob Jamega Rang Jab Mil Bhaithenge Teen Yaar, Aap Mein Aur Bagpiper. Various Bollywood celebrities such Dharmendra, Ashok Kumar, Shahrukh Khan, Jackie Shroff are marketing ambassadors of Bagpiper. Their whisky bottles are affordable when compared to others.
9. Whiskin Craft Whiskey
It is the leading OK quality spirit and alcohol in India. Whiskin Crafted is one of the top-notch scotch blended whisky companies in India with international flavours and tastes. It was introduced in 2013 to offer high quality with a perfect mixture of ingredients. Under this brand, there are several brands introduced, including Glider Whisky, two Rum brands named Jogger Rum & Bronco Rum. Their whisky has natural flavours of honey, roasted dry fruits, and dark chocolate.
10. The Rockford Reserve
The Rockford Reserve counts among the premium whiskey category. With the launch of Rockford Classic and Rockford Reserve, the sale of whisky is increasing across the globe. This fine blended whisky with extraordinary smooth aroma and golden colour. It is mixed under strict quality control and supervision to get typical organoleptic and roundness characteristics.
Final Words
From the growing whiskey brand in India, you can guess how popular it is among Indians. Whether it’s a bottle of affordable whiskey or a fine bottle of premium Scotch whiskey, both are equally in demand.
Whiskey FAQs
- What Is “Cask Strength” Whisky, And How Does It Differ From Regular Whisky?
Ans: Imagine taking whisky right from the barrel and bottling it up and no water added! Well, that’s what Cask Strength whisky is. While your regular, everyday whisky gets watered down to a certain alcohol level, cask strength can have alcohol levels anywhere from 50% to 65%. That means, you’re getting a more intense, full-bodied flavor.
- How Do Indian Whisky Regulations Differ From European Regulations?
Ans: Well, in Europe, whisky has to be made from malted barley and aged in oak barrels for at least three years. India, on the other hand, is more laid-back with the rules. You can use molasses (yeah, the stuff from sugarcane) and there’s no set time for aging. This means you get a whole variety of Indian whiskies, some of which wouldn’t even be called “whisky” if you go by European standards.
- How Does The Aging Process Affect The Taste Of Whisky?
Ans: Think of aging whisky like marinating a steak, the longer you let it sit, the more flavors get soaked in. Whisky aged in wooden barrels picks up all sorts of interesting tastes and smells from the wood itself. Over time, these interactions make the whisky smoother and more complex. But yeah, the “perfect age” can differ depending on the type of barrel and the distillery’s unique process.
- Is It True That Most Whisky In India Is Made From Molasses?
Ans: Yep, you heard right! A lot of Indian whisky starts life as molasses, which is basically leftover stuff from making sugar. But don’t get it twisted, India also has some top-shelf brands like Amrut and Sula that stick to grains and more traditional methods.
- What Impact Does India’s Climate Have On The Aging Process Of Whisky?
Ans: You know how India is mostly hot and humid, right? Well, that’s like a speed-up button for whisky aging! Because of that, you end up with some deeply flavorful whisky in less time.
- How Do I Read A Whisky Label To Understand Its Origin And Quality?
Ans: Have you ever looked at a whisky label and felt like it’s written in code? No worries! Keep your eyes peeled for buzzwords like “Single Malt,” “Blended,” or “Cask Strength.” They’re your clues to what’s inside the bottle. You’ll often also find the name of the distillery, where it’s from, and maybe even how long it’s been aged. Oh, and that ABV percentage tells you how strong the whisky is.
- How Do I Store Whisky To Preserve Its Quality?
Ans: Whisky is pretty chill, but you gotta store it right to keep it tasting great. Stand the bottle upright and stash it somewhere cool and dark. Sunlight is a no-go. And don’t save it for a special occasion forever, unlike wine, it doesn’t get better with age once it’s in the bottle.
