About this whisky

Nirvana was released by John Distilleries in 2019 as an easy-going entry point into the Paul John range, made at the same distillery in Cuncolim, Goa. It is an unpeated single malt made from Indian six-row barley and matured in charred American oak casks, where the Goan heat draws out sweetness from the wood quickly. It is bottled at 40% with no added colour or flavour, and has collected a long list of medals since launch, including gold at the London Spirits Competition and the India Wine & Spirits Awards in 2024.

The nose offers honeycomb, caramel and a little fruitcake. The palate is soft and honeyed, with vanilla and a faintly salty barley edge, and the finish is long and gentle, full of honey and vanilla. It is the bottle to pour for a friend trying single malt for the first time, a relaxed choice for an evening at home, and a thoughtful, Indian-made gift for Bijoya or Diwali visits.

Key facts

• Unpeated single malt from Indian six-row barley
• Matured in charred American oak (ex-bourbon) casks in Goa
• Released in April 2019; bottled at 40% with no added colour or flavour
• Gold at the London Spirits Competition 2024 and India Wine & Spirits Awards 2024

Tasting notes

Nose:

Honeycomb, caramel and fruitcake, with a light bourbon-cask sweetness

Palate:

Soft honey, vanilla and a slightly salt-edged barley

Finish:

Long and gentle, with honey, barley and vanilla

Serve

Neat or over a single large ice cube; it also works well as a highball with chilled soda or ginger ale and a slice of orange.

Food pairing

Pairs nicely with Goan-style prawn fry or bhetki fish fry with kasundi, and with caramel custard or a vanilla sponge cake.