Review by: dustbunna
Distillery: Piccadily Agro Distillers.
Bottler: Distillery bottling.
Region: India (Haryana).
ABV: 57.2%. Cask strength.
Age: NAS. Bottled in 2023.
Cask type: Ex-bourbon barrels.
Price: $80 USD for 750mL.
Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.
Bottle open across approx. 6 months, notes taken leisurely across that period. Bold notes taken beneath the shoulder (consistent across the entire bottle.)
Nose: very spicy and fragrant, liquorice, cardamom, almonds, orange blossom water, oak, orange zest.
Palate: medium-full body ~ more liquorice and cardamom, black pepper, more orange zest, roses, pistachios, more oak tannins.
Finish: medium length ~ black tea, more black pepper, mint, more roses on the tail end, bubblegum, a hint of chocolate.
Conclusion: This is my second Indri, after the affordable and well-presented Trini. Drú, though a limited release, is a massive upgrade: maturing solely in ex-bourbon (compared to Trini’s vatting of ex-bourbon, PX, and red wine) means their boisterous malt character really shines through here, and at cask strength it has an intensity bordering on ferocious. We don’t know how old this is, but the bourbon casks are likely active first-fill, and a lot of flavor is being pulled out of them in a very short time by the subtropical climate. The nose is fragrant to a level that approaches high-ester rums, but going in a very different direction, and the palate has the power and depth of flavor to match it. Despite the richness and ABV, it never comes across as too over-oaked or too hot to me, and I’ve enjoyed it best without water.
I can’t tell exactly which flavors are coming from cask or from spirit here… only that the overall effect is of whisky permeated by its place, full of fragrant, sweet, spicy notes that I rarely find together but that work incredibly well in counterpoint. Drú is quite memorable whisky to me: something bold that’s easy to sit back and enjoy, but also easy to pick apart and contemplate if I’m in the mood for it. The bottle marks this as Batch 01, so I hope it’s going to come around every year—I’d very much like to have it in the cabinet again.
Final Score: 86.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 