India’s Rampur to represent Asia in global whisky climate study

Mumbai: Rampur Distillery will represent Asia in an international study examining how climate influences the maturation, chemistry and flavour of single malt whisky, highlighting the growing profile of Indian single malts in global markets.

The six-month study will compare eight single malts, one from each continent, including what researchers say is the world’s first whisky matured in Antarctica. Led by Brazilian food scientist Aline Bortoletto and her team at INOVBEV in São Paulo, the research will use chemical analysis, sensory evaluation and statistical modelling to compare how different climates shape whisky.

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“This is genuinely uncharted territory. No study has examined how single malt whisky matures across climates this different, from the heat of northern India to the freezing cold of Antarctica, and having a whisky matured in Antarctica among the samples makes it more remarkable still. By combining chemical and sensory analysis, we hope to give whisky lovers, and producers, a clearer picture of how different climates and place shape what ends up in the glass,” said Bortoletto.
The findings are expected to provide scientific data on how maturation differs across regions, from the hot climate of northern India to the sub-zero temperatures of Antarctica.

Rampur, produced at a distillery established in Uttar Pradesh in 1943, is the only Indian whisky in the study. Made from Indian barley, it is matured in the Himalayan foothills, where summer temperatures often cross 40 degrees Celsius.

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The study comes as Indian single malts continue to expand their presence in overseas markets and gain recognition at international competitions. India is the world’s largest whisky market by volume.

“The climate of the Himalayan foothills shapes our whisky in ways very different to cooler regions, and it’s exciting to see what the science can tell us about that and to have our whisky in The 8 Continent Series, which shines a light on world whisky,” said Anup Barik, Master Distiller at Rampur.

The study also includes Isla Marambio, produced by Argentina’s La Alazana and matured for three years at Antarctica’s Marambio Base after five years in Argentina.

The findings will be compiled into a scientific report and presented at international food and beverage science conferences.