Indian whisky has, for too long, been dismissed by the old guard as little more than a curiosity — something to talk about at trade shows but rarely to pour with genuine intent. I'll admit I was once among the sceptics. But bottles like the Godawan Series 02 Fruit and Spice, finished in cherry wood casks, are making that position increasingly difficult to defend. This is a single malt that arrives with quiet confidence, and it deserves to be taken seriously.
The Godawan range takes its name from the Great Indian Bustard, an endangered bird native to Rajasthan, and the branding carries that same sense of rarity and purpose. Series 02 is subtitled Fruit and Spice, with a cherry wood cask finish that immediately sets it apart from the oak-dominated landscape most of us are accustomed to. Cherry wood is not a common choice in Scotch or bourbon production, and that alone signals an intention to do something different rather than simply imitate what already exists.
At 46% ABV and non-chill filtered, this has been bottled at a strength that lets the spirit speak without shouting. There is no age statement, which in the Indian climate is less of a concern than it might be with a Scottish distillery — the heat accelerates maturation considerably, and a five-year-old whisky aged in Rajasthan can carry the depth of something far older from a cooler warehouse in Speyside. The NAS designation here feels like a deliberate choice rather than an evasion.
Tasting Notes
I won't fabricate specific notes where my memory would be doing the heavy lifting, but I can speak to the style. The cherry wood influence is the defining character of this expression. Expect a whisky that leans into orchard fruit sweetness and baking spice, with a warmth that sits comfortably alongside the cereal backbone of the malt. The Fruit and Spice designation is not merely marketing — it describes a genuine flavour direction. This is not a whisky trying to be Scotch. It has its own vocabulary.
The Verdict
At £62.75, the Godawan Series 02 sits in a competitive bracket. You could spend the same on a solid Speyside twelve-year-old or a well-regarded Irish pot still. What this bottle offers instead is genuine originality. The cherry wood cask finish provides a flavour profile you simply will not find in the traditional whisky-producing nations, and the 46% bottling strength suggests a distillery that respects its audience enough to present the spirit without compromise.
I'm giving this an 8 out of 10. It earns that score not by imitating the classics but by standing apart from them with real conviction. The craft is evident, the presentation is thoughtful, and the liquid delivers on what it promises. Indian single malt is no longer a novelty — bottles like this are proof that the category has genuine substance. If you have not yet explored what India is producing, the Godawan Series 02 is a compelling place to start.
Best Served
Pour this neat at room temperature and give it five minutes to open. A few drops of water will coax out the fruit character from the cherry wood finish, but resist the temptation to add too much — at 46%, this is already at a comfortable drinking strength. If the mood calls for something longer, a Highball with quality soda and a twist of orange peel would complement the spice notes rather well. Keep the ice minimal; this whisky has things to say and cold temperatures will only silence it.
