If you have followed this blog for a while, you know I like to take a break from Scottish whisky, my main focus, from time to time. So, before moving on to the next chapter of my Scottish whisky exploration, I will take a very short break. Previously, I peeked into Irish whiskey and Bourbon. For the next four weeks, I am planning to sample a few world whiskies. The bottles I picked are neither a structured nor a selective choice, rather they reflect what was and is available easily for me. Starting today with this review of the Indri Trini, the Three Wood.
TL:DR: A fun tropical ride at a great price
Score*: 7, Very good stuff
Indian “whisky”
When I started getting into whisky, I was quite surprised to learn that India is the largest whisky market in the world, with sales of over 2.2 billion litres per year (250 million cases). You could argue that, as the most populated country in the world, those numbers should be filtered by population. (Which would make France the top consumer of whisky in the world, with India still a respectable 5th).
Add to this that 4 out of top 5 selling whisky brands (McDowell’s No.1, Officer’s Choice, Royal Stag and Imperial Blue) come from India and total almost 950 million litres sold per year. (With Johnny Walker a “mere” 5th at 198 million litres). It has to be noted that much of India’s whisky production, blended mostly, would not qualify as such in many whisky-producing countries. Much of the domestic Indian whisky is made from molasses distillation, so more akin to rum. There are, however, a number of distilleries known for their single malt production, like Amrut, Paul John’s, Rampur and Piccadilly, the producer of the Indri Trini in today’s review.
Late to the Trini party
I am very late to the Trini party. Thinking back to two years ago, when my on-and-off passion for whisky jumped up in intensity, the whiskysphere was awash with review after review of the Indri Trini. This single malt was launched by Picadilly in 2022. At that time, the company reached out to many whisky influencers with an offer of a free bottle (rather than the usual sample). While I could argue that this freebie likely helped raise awareness, with some, the positive reviews were also coming from individuals who purchased and reviewed the Iwhisky autonomously. Just like I am doing today for my own Indri Trini review.
The attention on Indri, the Trini first, then the cask strength Dru, also ended up potentially harming the brand. It brought attention to its largest individual shareholder, Siddharth Sharma. Sharma, the son of a high-ranking politician, shot 34-year-old Jessica Lal at point-blank range for refusing to give him a drink after he tried to bribe her with Rs 1000 on April 29, 1999. Originally acquitted, he was subsequently found guilty and condemned to life imprisonment for the crime.
He was released in 2020 on good behaviour. (For more details, check this article). This led to some calling for a boycott of Picadilly’s whiskies, including Indri. I only learned of this story earlier this year, long after I had purchased this Indri. While I do understand why some would call for a boycott (and respect their position), I feel that Sharma has served the punishment for his crime. If I had to pick someone to boycott, I’d rather focus on those that have been responsible for crimes and got away scot free.
Indri Trini – The Three Wood
Specs
Price paid: €39.88
Lot/bottled date: Batch 2, September 2022
ABV: 46%
Natural colour: Yes
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Casks Used: Ex-Bourbon, Ex-French Wine, Ex-PX Sherry
Tasting Notes
Colour: Medium golden amber.
Nose: There is an immediate blast of tropical fruit: mango, papaya, pineapple coated with lime juice. While the tropical core shines bright, there is a second level of more complex, and likely cask-derived, aromas. I get a treacle PX note, black cherries and plums, a hint of tamarind, teak wood, cola gummy bears, nutmeg, a hint of green chilli, and a touch of milk chocolate.
Taste: The texture is medium, with some youthful heat noticeable. The taste continues on the tropical character: mango, raisins, cane sugar, woody, some nuttiness and baking spice, almost effervescent. The finish is medium long, less tropical and more dominated by notes which I suspect come from the PX cask, treacle, baking spices and chocolate. The finish is drying and slightly bitter
Score: 7, very good stuff
Independent of the price, the Indri Trini in this review is a fun rollercoaster of a whisky. While there is a trace of youthfulness, its bold and bright flavours more than make up for that. It would be difficult to mistake it for a Scottish single malt. It is tropical to the point that, at times, it could fool you into thinking it is some aged molasses spirit. And when you consider the price, even today around 40€ in Europe (if you know where to look), this is a fantastic everyday sipper which kicks the butt of many so called “entry level” whiskies.
* Scores are based on the scoring scale used by Dramface, slightly modified to allow half-points
Interested in my take on a specific whisky style? Check the full Journey here and jump to the relevant Chapter.
After writing my tasting notes, I always find it interesting to look at other opinions. Here are a few other reviews of Indri Trini I enjoyed:
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