Apparently, Bagheera is Indian for panther, and until this whisky came out I didn’t know that. To me it was the panther in The Jungle Book, and nothing else.

Anyway, this whisky, released three years ago is an Amrut, which to me means that it is one of the really well made Indian whiskies. Maybe the best of the 2 or 3 distilleries in the country that I know of and have tried.

This one comes without an age statement, but knowing it’s an Indian whisky and how quickly booze evaporates from casks there, it can’t be more than 4 or 5 years old. But, because of the insanely fast evaporation, maturation happens more quickly too. So, I was quite curious to know this one, and used in an online tasting a few years ago. Yesterday I finished the last bit in the bottle, so it’s about time for a review!

Sniff:
The sherry cask trumps all spirit, with a LOT of yeast driven sherry flavors happening. Honestly, it’s not bad at all, it’s just very cask driven. I guess, based on my experience, that Amrut adopts casks very well. There’s some dried fruit, but not a really rich sweetness. It’s more like apricots and peaches than it’s dates and prunes.

Sip:
The palate brings a bit of bite, even after another (higher strength) dram. The sherry is very present, with dry tree bark, some yeast and almond flour. Also there are hints of apricot and coconut husks. A whiff of a peppery bite too.

Swallow:
The finish is largely the same but does bring a bit of a barley note. It’s quite long and warming, with lots of wood driven flavors.

A nice daily drinker, with more to offer than I expected. But, in the end, it’s pretty straight forward and slightly simple.

Currently, with this clocking in at just under € 60 it is easier to do worse at that price than it is to do better.

84/100