Whisky maker Paul John puts Indian single malt on the global map

A Bengaluru-based brand, with a distillery in Goa, and over 305 international awards under its belt—this is not your usual Make in India story. 

But John Distilleries Chairman Paul P John wouldn’t have it any other way.

Paul began by opening a biscuit factory right out of college, before shutting it down and finding his way into the world of whisky in 1996. Almost three decades later, Paul has brought Indian whisky to global palates. 

With recognitions including World Whiskies Awards 2020, Michelangelo Whiskey Trophy 2019, Spirits Selection Gold Award 2019, and awards for the Best Distillery and Best Master Distiller, homegrown brand Paul John Whisky is available across 44 countries, with sales exceeding 21 million cases a year. 

As the second Indian Single Malt to be ever launched, Paul John Single Malt holds 28-30% of the domestic market share today. 

“Paul John has done a brilliant job in helping pave the way for the companies to follow suit with their single malts. They have had the confidence and boldness to make a strong push into international markets and see their brands listed around the world, both on and off-trade,” says industry veteran Vikram Achanta, Co-founder of 30BestBarsIndia and Founder and CEO of Tulleeho. 

In 2019, US-based Sazerac, which produces the Buffalo Trace Bourbon, acquired a 23% stake in John Distilleries, indicating a vote of confidence in the Indian Single Malt space.  

Paving the way

When starting out in the early 1990s, Paul found a key gap in the Indian whisky-making process. 

“For the first two to three years, we (the company) were producing very cheap brands,” Paul reveals. “In those days, we believed that single malts could only be made in Scotland.” 

After extensive travel and multiple trips to Scotland, Paul figured that there wasn’t much of a difference in what it takes to make a scotch between India and Scotland. He also brought water from Scotland, got it tested in India and realised, “We have better water here!”

“The conditions, barley, and water, were the same here. That’s when I decided to make a single malt in India.” he says, adding, “It was a long journey, nobody had thought about making single malts here, let alone of high quality.”

From the plant to the fabricated potsills and other equipment—everything except the bourbon casks and the peat used in John Distilleries is made in India. “Technology wasn’t as evolved back then and a lot of it was still grey,” John says.

In 1996, the company launched the Original Choice–a blended whisky that offers the same rich experience as that of a malt whisky, but at an affordable price. “There was no looking back from there…Original Choice continues to be our main bread and butter, bringing us money to be able to sell all the other brands,” Paul says. 

Today, the company offers 20 different brands under its portfolio, with Paul John Nirvana, a deep copper-coloured unpeated single malt, being the highest-selling single malt in terms of volume. 

Starting 2018, the brand has also been launching a special Christmas-edition single malt whisky each year—7,000 to 8,000 bottles released globally—making it a collector’s item. 

However, Paul believes, that for any Indian whisky brand to truly succeed, the first task should be educating the consumers. “When topping whisky with mixers and making it a high ball and drinking it, the very essence and flavour of the single malt gets diluted. Every brand that makes single malts needs to educate the Indian consumer on how to drink it.”

A single malt whisky should be had neat, or with very little water, Paul suggests. “This (educating the Indian consumer) will take a long time, and if we can achieve that, I think we will be able to crack the Indian model,” he adds. 

In 2012, Paul John ventured off-shore and entered the UK markets with three single casks—161, 163, and 164—along with the Paul John Brilliance and Bold.

While Karnataka (27%) is the largest market with sales for the brand in India, followed by Goa (18%) and Haryana (14%); the USA, UK and Australia are the largest markets for Paul John, internationally. 

The most premium offering from the company is the Mithuna by Paul John (priced approximately at Rs 22,000); followed by the Select Casks Oloroso and PX, priced between Rs 8,500 and Rs 13,000, depending on the market. 

The whisky market 

The Indian Scotch Whisky market is currently pegged at $3.8 billion, and is expected to reach $6.8 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 6.3%. 

While brands like Amrut and Paul John have paved the way for the growth of Indian whisky, the Indian Single Malt space is rapidly expanding with new entrants ranging from mid-sized Indian companies, to multinationals and new-age entrepreneurs setting up malt plants—such as Indri, Kamet, Godawan, GianChand, Crazy Cock and Rampur Distillery. 

Decades later, Paul continues to believe, “Selecting the cask is the most challenging part of the job.” The master distiller at John Distillery selects the casks based on a defined profile for each variant, aiming to evoke specific flavours and aromas. The company imports casks from across France, Spain and Portugal.  

However, the Indian whisky space is also witnessing innovation in terms of cask programmes for ageing and maturation, limited-edition launches and super-premium offerings. 

“The Indian whisky has a strong product story on two fronts—the warmer climate leads to intense maturation, and the use of six-row barley results in a higher protein content, leading to a grainier, bread-like character of the liquid,” says Vikram. 

"This unique combination entices connoisseurs and collectors to seek out interesting and rare whiskies, born in India. Currently, the interest in limited-edition Indian single malts as well as higher-end variants is on the rise, not just amongst enthusiasts within the country, but also globally,” he adds.

Leveraging this particular trend, Paul John recently also announced its exclusive partnership with Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport’s Avolta Duty Free, unveiling a 228-bottle limited edition launch. The exotic single-cask Unpeated Madeira, priced at $300 for a bottle, is made available for global travellers. 

“The city holds a special place in our hearts…It (Single-cask Unpeated Madeira) allows us to showcase the vibrant flavours of India in every sip,” Paul says. The Unpeated Madeira single malt proffers Christmas cake aromas with rich flavours of sweet vanilla and dark chocolate, leading to a bold finish. 

Paul has also gotten into the wine business with Big Banyan Wine and has expanded his company’s portfolio beyond single malts to launch the Malhar Gin in 2022, as well as Paul John XO, a premium grape brandy. At present, John Distilleries is experimenting with new finishes and working on its 2024 Christmas edition launch. 

(The copy was updated to correct a typo.)