You’d think it’d be hard to find great new whisky under Rs 2,000; it seems a small price point to be able to warrant both an exciting, quality whisky and one that has the advantage of being brand new on the Indian market. We thought something similar but were pleasantly surprised to learn there are actually three new releases this year that do make the cut. Each of the whiskies that you’ll find on this list falls under the Rs 2,000 bracket (state variations will, naturally, apply), letting you partake of new whisky without you having to go beyond a modest budget. The bottles listed are all 750ml, so there are no cheats here, trying to trick you into thinking you can get a great whisky under 2k with the addendum of it being a quarter or a half. Why have a glass half-full when it can be filled to the brim?
3 new whisky bottles under Rs 2,000 you must try in 2022
1. X&O Barrel Premium Whisky
From Allied Blenders and Distillers (the folks behind Sterling Reserve and Officer’s Choice) comes a new budget blend that does beautifully for a night of serial whisky cocktail drinking. A blend of Scotch malts (matured in American bourbon barrels) and Indian grain spirits, this late 2022 release marries a lot of different whisky universes; but does it with flair. A great whisky to throw into a Sour; think lemon, simple syrup, and just a touch of egg white (or not, if you don’t have it).
Price: Rs 2,000 (approx)
2. Yaksha
Last year, a homegrown company called Blisswater Industries emerged on the scene, making news for its vodka, Rahasya; the first decent craft budget vodka to have popped up in some time. In 2022, Blisswater attempts to do the same for the budget craft whisky category, with their 5-year-old grain-malt mix, Yaksha. With a claim to being inspired by the fusion of the Soma plant (the stalks of which were used as offerings in Vedic sacrifices) with premium Scotch from the highlands of Scotland, Yaksha definitely promises, if nothing else, to be distinctly different from your run-of-the-mill IMFL.
Price: Rs 1,350 (approx)
3. Lucifer’s Gold Original
The most fascinating thing (and, quite possibly, the USP) of this blend is the audaciousness of what it blends; and that’s one part Kentucky bourbon and one part Scotch. The result, however, is definitely one for the books; a buttery smooth whisky bursting with piquant notes of pepper, dates walnut and custard before it devolves into cinnamon. Proof that if you know what you’re doing, even the most ungodly-sounding experiment can yield absolute (Lucifer’s) gold.
Price: Rs 1,994 (approx)
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