Piccadily Distilleries-owned whisky brand Indri and New Delhi-based mostly Fort Metropolis Brewing have introduced Dhumri, a stout aged in whisky casks, to attraction to whisky and beer drinkers alike.
Barrel-aged Imperial Stouts have existed for decades, but it is only in the last handful of years that beers aged employing this exclusive system have attained momentum all around the globe. Now Indian producers are leaping on the pattern.
Dhumri is the initially drink in the ‘Barrel Aged Beer Programme’, made by ageing Fort City Brewing’s Imperial Stout in the wood barrels that earlier housed Indri’s solitary malt whisky, Indri-Trini.
The Barrel Aged Beer Programme is a joint enterprise involving the two drinks brand names intending to carry flavour to the beer by ageing it in whisky barrels.
Piccadily Distilleries founder Siddhartha Sharma mentioned that the development for ageing beer in ex-whisky barrels has acquired recognition in current several years, “owing to its capability to impart distinctive flavours and traits to the beer”.
Fort City Brewing co-founders Gautham Gandhi and Ashish Ranjan claimed they hoped the collaboration with Indri would generate “beers that will captivate the palates of beer and whisky lovers”.
Ranjan defined that the model “wanted to charm to the wine and whisky drinkers and expose them to a far more varied universe of craft beers”.
India has traditionally been a whisky-consuming nation. Ranjan discussed that since there is a good deal of overlap amongst single malt whisky drinkers and beer people, a collaboration like this would introduce more people today to the brand’s craft beers.
The brewery’s Imperial Stout expended 3 months resting in Indri barrels in buy to make Dhumri. The wood makes it possible for some of the alcohol and water to evaporate from the beer, and a lot more oxygen enters the beer to give the beverage its complex flavor profile.
Indri, which is primarily based in Hiryana, uses three unique barrel kinds to make its signature Indri-Trini one malt — ex-bourbon, ex-french wine and ex-sherry casks.
Dhumri was launched in March at Fort Metropolis Brewing’s brewery exactly where it will be completely readily available on faucet. With an ABV of 7.8%, the constrained edition craft beer is served in 50 % pints, priced at close to 595 INR with out tax.
As pioneers of barrel-aged beers in India, Fort Metropolis Brewing’s Ranjan spelled out that he would be thrilled to see a lot more brand names stick to accommodate and mature beers in ex-whisky barrels. Even so, selected worries in logistics and availability are probably to lead to troubles for other makes.
The ageing strategy comes with its have price. In accordance to Ranjan, brand names will have to have to shell out as much as US$300 (238 GBP) for one barrel, and shipping in smaller batches of three or four barrels drives up the rate. Fort Town Brewing was equipped to keep away from said issues because Indri equipped it with a few of barrels for cost-free for this collaborative launch.