Among alcoholic drinks, whisky is very popular in India, it is said that one out of every two bottles of whisky in the world is consumed in India. The IMFL (India-made foreign liquor) whisky market is growing at a great speed. And one of the star segment here is the mid-range market, selling at above Rs 1000 a bottle, where there is plenty of activities.
There have been quite a few recent launches in the segment, the latest being the brand Legacy from Bacardi India – a whisky made in India, and made for India. The bottle has a sub caption “The Spirit of India” right below the Legacy trademark.
This is the first foray of Bacardi into the India-made segment of whisky. A blended whisky, Legacy combines Scottish and Indian malts along with Indian grains. At the launch of the brand in Hyderabad at Taj Falaknuma, I was exposed to this new product. There were multiple presentations on the product from Zeenah Vilcassim, the Marketing Director, and Ishrat Kaur, the Brand Ambassador of Bacardi. This was followed by Legacy being paired with some lovely Hyderabadi food, from the kitchens of Taj Falaknuma.
On nosing, one found that the whisky has a peaty aroma to it along with fruity notes. On the tongue, there is no strong aroma, and there is a mild note of Oak too. With the addition of a little water, it became very muted and smooth as well as mildly sweet with a little taste of spice. At the finish, one could feel a little smokiness. The whisky has artificial peat added to the blend, which differentiates it from most brands. We had some spicy Hyderabadi kababs to try out with the drink, and these were perfect foils to the smooth taste.
Legacy is from the Indian operations of Bacardi, the Mexican spirit company with a presence in more than one hundred countries. The whisky has been launched as of now in three states of India, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Telangana. A 750 ml bottle is priced at Rs 1560 in Hyderabad, positioning it against brands like 100 Pipers and Teachers Highland Cream. Tastewise the smoothness should find favour with the people who enjoy a smooth drink, and the brand is expected to do well.
