Kadamba Caribbean Cask is the best Single-malt for Rum fans. Taste the magic of Caribbean, a single malt with a bold, tropical twist. To create whisky with a tropical feel, Kadamba makers after aging the Single-malt for a long period in oak barrels, have specially finished the spirit by maturing in barrels that previously held Caribbean rum. The result is a well balanced and exceptionally creamy smooth Single-malt whisky.
The Kadamba Caribbean Rum Cask is the original and only rum-finished Indian single malt whisky for the price of ₹3520 for a 750ml bottle in Goa is an absolute steal and the price may vary where you buy across the world, but it’ll never cost you over $100 in duty free.
“The influence of the rum casks brings forward rich notes of caramel and exotic fruits, melded seamlessly with the classic flavors of Kadamba Single-malt whisky. It’s enjoyable neat, but its versatility truly shines in cocktails,” says Dr. Mohan Krishna Balivada, founder of Cheers group and World’s first alco-bev marketing Doctorate.
Cheers Group, a luxury spirits conglomerate, having bagged around 250 national and international awards for it’s portfolio of world-class brands that are valued at around ₹850 crores, has unveiled its latest innovation: Kadamba Caribbean barrel finished Indian Single-malt whisky, a groundbreaking variant that marks a world first in secondary maturation using emptied Caribbean rum barrels. This unique expression is designed to appeal to both whisky enthusiasts and cocktail aficionados, offering Caribbean rum-forward profile inspired by global bartender insights.
The world of rum drinkers and single malt whisky connoisseurs don’t necessarily overlap. Rum is made with sugarcane juice or molasses, and the Single-malt is made with malted barley. They have different flavor profiles and different fans. But when they’re aged, they both carry complex and memorable aromas and flavors.
“Barrels that were used for aging rum would carry some of the nuanced flavors when Kadamba single malt whisky is added for maturation or finishing. Aging and finishing in ex-rum barrels, impart enticing aromas and flavors,” says Ashwin Balivada CEO of Cheers group who mastered Business Management from Cambridge University UK.
In addition to the expected Kadamba single malt whisky palate—think candied orange peels, honey, vanilla, toffee, and oak—rum barrels add notes of pineapple, bananas, coconut, vanilla, toffee, and island spices.
Hailing from India’s party capital Goa, this version of Kadamba Indian single-malt whisky is aged in ex-bourbon casks and then finished in ex-Caribbean rum casks having notes of the
West Indies– comprises around 13 countries, including Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica and others.
Nose: Though there are a great amount of scents pertaining to the usual ex-bourbon aging, there are many that feel additional, though rum is usually aged in ex-bourbon casks as well. There are vanilla, caramel and toffee scents, but also banana, butter, toasted molasses, oak and pepper.
Palate: Very different to traditional Single-malt whisky. Feels much sweeter and those flavors have nuances of brown sugar, oak. honey, grapefruit peel and a touch of malted barley.
Finish: Honey, nuts and citrus peel. Well balanced and exceptionally smooth.
Conclusion: While on the nose the whisky feels like a bit of the Caribbean influence on Single-malt, on the mouth the whisky feels like Caribbean. There are many rum influenced flavors, it’s a great example of how far and how deep an experiment can go. Taste the Innovation. Ahoy!
