Impression // Paul John Indian Single Malt - Christmas 2020 Limited Edition

Now that the end of the year is a mere fortnight away, we can start thinking about how we want to spend the holidays. If it were up to me, I’d throw multiple parties to make up for all the lost time during 2020, but it’s not up to me. Instead, I’ll simply continue reviewing delicious whiskies. In this article, I’m boosting my own Christmas spirits (what’s in a name) by sampling a gift from Shilton Almeida, Paul John brand ambassador and Mister Congeniality for this century: a quaint miniature bottle of the Christmas 2020 Limited Edition. ‘t Is the season to be merry.

Text by Mickaël Van Nieuwenhove
Photography is © Paul John

Paul John - Indian Single Malt

Paul John is a brand of single malt whiskies distilled in Goa, India as part of the John Distilleries group, which also produces other whiskies, brandy, and even wine. The brand itself is young - it was introduced in 2012 - but so far plenty of people have found their way to this Indian single malt.

With 8 expressions being continuously available (Nirvana - Unpeated Single Malt Whisky - 40% abv, Brilliance - Unpeated - 46% abv, Edited - With a Hint of Peat - 46% abv, Bold - Peated - 46% abv, Classic Select Cask - Unpeated - 55.2% abv, Peated Select Cask - Peated - 55.5% abv, Oloroso Select Cask - 48% abv, and PX Select Cask - 48% abv), and a slew of limited editions, it’s difficult to not find an expression that is to your liking. I can say that whenever I visited a whisky festival in Belgium, I always swung by the Paul John booth, and I was never disappointed.

For this year’s special Christmas edition, the brand released an expression that was matured in Virgin Oak, Ex-Bourbon, and Oloroso casks, with a hint of Peat for good measure. Furthermore, this edition is an NAS, and it was bottled at the industry standard of 46% ABV. And it simply looks Christmassy! I suspect this is a real crowd pleaser.

Paul John Christmas 2020 - Tasting Notes

The first thing I notice is how easy-going and comforting the initial scents of the dram are. A very present sweet vanilla note, then a fresher side to the dram, followed by fruitier notes, and even a little bit of a roast to it. Perhaps that’s the influence of the peat. A good start!

The first sip reveals a slightly ‘thicker than water’ expression, which sticks to the tongue just long enough to release a lovely set of flavors. There’s plenty going on, but the main contenders would be oak, spices, and even some figs and raisins in there (the yellow ones). There’s a hint of peat as the whisky dries out on your tongue, and a gentle tingle turns this expression into the whisky equivalent of the Christmas lights we hang up in our tree.

When I nosed the dram for a second time, the ‘roast beef’ aspect was a bit more present, and the sweetness was pushed back a bit. There was more room for raisins in the nose as well, and I was getting convinced there might even be a bit of Christmas fruit cake in there.

This is exactly what I expected the expression to be like. Very accessible, with plenty of scents and flavors to please the more ‘seasoned’ whisky drinker, while at the same time wonderfully balanced and ‘easy enough’ for people who want to try a dram because it’s Christmas. It’s a fun expression to gift, and even more fun to receive. Pass this around the Christmas table, and the general idea will be one of merriment.