You know the old phrase about cricket being an Indian game accidentally invented by the British? Well after tasing Paul John’s award winning single malt whiskies, I had the feeling that in the future people will say that whisky is an Indian spirit accidentally invented by the Scots (or should it be the Irish?).
But will it really be a surprise? India consumes more whisky than any other country in the World – a monumental 2 billion litres annually – and there is already much support for Japanese whisky being better than native Scottish or Irish offerings.
Yet what has been achieved here by the charming and wonderful Mr John, who I have now had the pleasure of meeting over dinner, is something very special. Having made some money in more mundane roles, he gave them up to move to Scotland and learn from the masters how to make the finest whisky. But he did not want just to copy them. Rather he wanted to create, and has succeeded in making, a whisky that draws from the heritage of the noble spirit, but also is Indian wherever possible. It is a wonderfully Anglo-Indian creation (or should that better be Indo-Anglican?).
It is made from Indian 6-row malted barley (not 2-row European barley) sourced from the foothills of the Himalaya and, for some variants, imported Islay and Aberdeen peat, distilled in traditional copper pot stills and then matured in charred American Oak casks at the company’s distillery in Goa, India.
The result is India’s most awarded single malt whisky, and they have now unveiled this year’s much-loved annual Christmas Edition, now in its ninth year. The 2026 release is finished in Spanish Moscatel casks, giving the whisky soft florals and sweet honey notes alongside a spiced warmth that Master Distiller Michael D’Souza describes as capturing “the spirit of Christmas in a glass.”
Created on the tropical shoes of Goa, this festive expression is an unpeated whisky that was first matured in an American Oak Cask and finished in a Moscatel Cask for 18 months. Moscatel, a golden aromatic wine, is a fixture on the Christmas table in Spanish festive traditions and lends a floral, sweet character to the whisky, allowing it stand up to rich, indulgent food.
What sets Paul John’s whiskies apart is the maturation in Goa’s tropical heat and humidity resulting in a whisky different to those matured in cooler climates. The angels’ share is higher, maturation moves quicker, and the spirit typically draws a great intensity of flavour from its casks. Finished in casks sourced from Spain and given a three-level char, this year’s Christmas Edition inherits that same generosity of character.
Now these Christmas specials are very limited in number and always sell out, which is not surprising when they retail for £60 to £80. I have tasted several and they are stunning. They make for wonderful gifts, and old editions sell for a lot more on the secondary market – when you can find them.
I’m going to buy a bottle for Christmas. You might want to as well…
You should be able to find bottles at specialist retailers as well as Master of Malt and the rather wonderful Maharaja Drinks
