Rampur Asava Cabernet Sauvignon Cask Finish Indian Single Malt Whisky
Rampur Asava Cabernet Sauvignon Cask Finish Indian Single Malt Whisky is a 45% ABV (90 proof) single malt in a 750mL bottle — matured in ex-American bourbon barrels, then finished in Indian Cabernet Sauvignon red-wine casks at the Rampur Distillery in the foothills of the Himalayas, a combination Whisky Advocate called the world's first Indian wine cask-finished whisky, available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 45% (90 proof), non-chill filtered
- Size: 750mL
- Age: no age statement — ex-bourbon maturation, Indian Cabernet Sauvignon cask finish
- Production: 100% Indian barley, copper pot stills, non-chill filtered
- Origin: Rampur Distillery, Radico Khaitan, Uttar Pradesh, India (Himalayan foothills)
- Awards: 93 pts, Whisky Advocate (2021 Top 20, #7); 92.5 pts, Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2022; 92 pts, Tastings.com; Best World Whisky, 2023 John Barleycorn Awards
India's Wine-Cask Pioneer
Rampur is Radico Khaitan's flagship single malt, distilled in the foothills of the Himalayas where extreme temperature swings drive fast, intense cask interaction. For Asava, the distillery takes its bourbon-barrel-matured single malt and finishes it in Indian Cabernet Sauvignon casks — red-wine wood from India's own vineyards rather than the usual European suspects. The result is a genuinely new flavor lane for Indian whisky: dark berries and wine tannin woven into malt, spice, and tropical fruit. The scores back it up — 93 from Whisky Advocate (a 2021 Top 20 pick), 92.5 from Jim Murray, and a Best World Whisky title at the 2023 John Barleycorns. Browse the Rampur range for more from this Himalayan-foothills distillery.
Tasting Notes
Dark berries, black cherry, and red-wine tannin over malt, vanilla, and baking spice, with the tropical-fruit intensity Indian single malts are known for. The Cabernet finish adds a vinous, almost Bordeaux-like layer; the finish is long, drying, and spicy.
How to Enjoy
Neat in a Glencairn to catch the wine-cask interplay, or over a single large cube. The tannic structure also makes it a compelling pick for a whisky-forward old fashioned variation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "Asava" mean?
No verified source defines the term — Rampur uses it as the expression's name for this Cabernet Sauvignon cask-finished whisky.
Is it really finished in Indian wine casks?
Yes — finished in Indian Cabernet Sauvignon red-wine casks after ex-bourbon maturation; Whisky Advocate called it the world's first Indian wine cask-finished whisky.
Where is Rampur made?
At the Rampur Distillery in Uttar Pradesh, India, in the foothills of the Himalayas, by Radico Khaitan.
Is it chill filtered?
No — it's bottled non-chill filtered at 45% ABV.
Indian single malt, wine-cask finished — order Rampur Asava online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
