A GRAND INDIAN SINGLE MALT

DeVANS Launches GianChand Premium Single Malt Whisky

The flagship distillery is located in the lap of the Himalayas at Jammu which provides unique climatic and geographical conditions for the manufacture and maturation of Malt spirits. The spirit is distilled in unique long swan neck copper pot stills, designed in-house. The maturation journey which started with 5 barrels has now crossed the 7000 barrels mark and is still progressing strongly. Persistence pays in the long run.

Devans Modern Breweries Ltd. was established in 1961 by Dewan Gian Chand, a pioneer industrialist of J&K, primarily as a liquor bottling plant to which a small brewery was added in 1967. Next on the cards was a distillery, after the success of Amrut, Paul John and other Indian brands. GianChand Single Malt Whisky was launched in November 2022 in homage to founder Dewan Gian Chand, a self-made entrepreneur who started his career as a journalist and envisioned DeVANS as a company with high standards of quality coupled with values and ethics.

The Indian consumer is upgrading and moving up the ladder with robust growth at all price points as the consumer upgrades to the next level. Covid did manage to play spoilsport but things are now back to normal. No one could have visualized 10 years back that Indian Single Malts would make such an impression in the market. But it has happened; not only happened but they are now international favourites, with demand far outstripping supply. GianChand is a smooth and light, an easy-to-drink single malt which has been positioned in the premium single malt segment.

DeVANS distillery has been producing malt spirits since 1961, one of India's oldest producers of quality malt spirits. That being said, DeVANS has announced the launch of its premium offering – GianChand Single Malt Whisky, a familiar move that is seeing expansion by Malt producers into single malt territory. GianChand Single Malt is the most delicate Indian malt with a pineapple drop candy sweetness carried hand-in-hand by barley and a firm vanilla backbone softened by thin oils that ensure the tannin build.

India is one of the world’s largest markets of whisky and the Indian audience has shown a very positive acceptance towards premium Indian products. Premium liquor brands are witnessing robust growth. GianChand has just been introduced into the market and is getting a very favourable response. Whisky guru Jim Murray thinks highly of GianChand whisky, launched earlier this week in Delhi. “This is one of the most fascinating whiskies I’ve come across. Unlike any other Indian malt I have encountered before,” says Murray, who notes in 2022: “GianChand is far more delicate and refined than any other Indian single malt, with soft barley and spice taking different but vital paths as the complexity increases. Although the casks have matured for several years in high heat, the oak involvement is gloriously restrained, allowing the fragile malt and exotic fruit notes space to perform.”

Devans Modern Breweries, which turned 60 recently, was set up by Dewan Gian Chand, a former journalist, in Bohri, Jammu, and started life as a liquor bottling plant. Today, the company has two distilleries in Jammu, including the one at Bohri, where the whisky is distilled and operates two breweries in Kotputli, Rajasthan, and Samba.

Over the years, his company has supplied malt spirits to nearly every Indian liquor maker, from Shaw Wallace in the 1990s to Amrut Distilleries.  As Indian single malts started becoming popular, Devans threw its hat into the ring and made a whisky that would also serve as a tribute to its founder.

Sales of Indian single malts have shot up in recent times and account for about 30 per cent of the whisky market. There is indeed a lot of demand for Indian single malts in our own country, and distillers see an opportunity here because often that demand is unmet. Plus, every other whisky made in India claims to be made in the foothills of the Himalayas regardless of where their distillery actually is, so Dewan thought it was time to launch a whisky that is actually made in the lap of the Himalayas.

The idea of creating a single malt whisky took shape about four years ago. The goal was to create a smooth, no-nonsense spirit by sticking to the basics—good quality ex-bourbon barrels, particular attention to ageing, et al. And it has worked. It’s a smooth whisky that is also mildly smoky. A peated version is also being readied and that should be out in the next six-odd months.

Tasting Notes:

Appearance:  Rich golden colour

Aroma: Elegant and delicate nose of brandy snaps and gingerbread, dried apricots, prunes, honeycomb toffee, hay and sweet spice, with mild notes of peat and dry oak in the backend.

Palate: A sweet, creamy start, delicate nutty honeycomb, a touch of salt, hints of dried ginger and fruits, quickly evolving into a dry, lightly tannic astringency with a pop of spice. Simple and smooth.

Finish: Medium to a long dry finish with hints of bitter chocolate and the zing of white pepper.

Overall: A smooth, light and easy-to-drink single malt.

Recommendation: This is a cold sell. Wait for it to reach the other states. Should come to Gurgaon by May-June.