Rampur vs Paul John Single Malt Whisky: Price In India, ABV And More

Indian single malt has stopped being a curiosity and become a category with a rivalry to match. Rampur and Paul John are the two names most often put side by side, and the Rampur vs Paul John question is one of the most common among drinkers choosing their first Indian single malt. Both are made from Indian six-row barley and matured in a climate that works the cask harder than Scotland's ever could, yet they come from opposite ends of the country and taste distinctly different. Rampur is made by Radico Khaitan in the foothills of the Himalayas, Paul John by John Distilleries in Goa. This guide compares the two on distillery, ABV, taste, awards and price in India, so you can decide which bottle belongs on your shelf.

Rampur vs Paul John: Distillery And Origins

Rampur is produced by Radico Khaitan at its distillery in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, a site that dates to 1943, when the company was still known as Rampur Distillery & Chemical Company. Radico began producing malted barley for its blends in 1990, but its first single malt, Rampur Select, only launched in 2016. The distillery sits in the Himalayan foothills, where hot summers and cold winters push the whisky through a wide temperature range, which the brand credits for speeding up maturation.

Paul John is made by John Distilleries, founded by Paul P. John and headquartered in Bengaluru, at a malt distillery in Goa, where the company began its single malt operation in 2008. The first bottling, a single cask, was launched in London in October 2012, followed by the flagship Brilliance, Edited and Bold in May 2013. Like Rampur, it uses six-row barley grown in the Himalayan foothills, but it matures in Goa's heat and humidity rather than the north's seasonal swings.

Rampur vs Paul John: Range And ABV

Rampur's range starts with Rampur Select, bottled at 43 per cent ABV, and runs through Rampur Double Cask at 45 per cent, matured in a combination of ex-bourbon barrels and European oak Oloroso sherry casks. Rampur Asava, also bottled at 45 per cent and launched in October 2020, is matured in ex-bourbon barrels and finished in Indian Cabernet Sauvignon wine casks. Barrel Blush and Sangam World Malt round out the line-up, and the whiskies are non-chill filtered.

Paul John's core range is three whiskies, all bottled at 46 per cent ABV, non-chill filtered, with no colour or flavour added: Brilliance, which is unpeated, Edited, which is lightly peated, and Bold, which is heavily peated. Beyond that sit the cask-strength Select Cask expressions, including Classic Select Cask at 55.2 per cent ABV and a Port Select Cask at 48 per cent ABV, as well as the entry-level Nirvana. In short, Paul John offers a peated option across its core range, while Rampur's identity rests on cask finishes.

Rampur vs Paul John: Taste

Rampur Double Cask opens on vanilla, stewed apples, tropical fruit and toasted oak, with a palate of ripe orchard fruit, dried fruit from the sherry casks, caramel and warm spice, finishing medium to long and honeyed. The style tends towards the rounded and the fruit-forward, with Asava adding darker, wine-cask fruit.

Paul John Brilliance is brighter and more spirit-driven, with lemon citrus, cinder toffee, frangipane and blossom on the nose, and ripe apricots and plum jam on the palate. Bold, the brand's heavily peated expression, trades that fruit for smoke, Manuka honey and dry molasses. If your preference runs to peat, Paul John is the more obvious place to start.

Rampur Whisky Price In India

Alcohol pricing in India is set state by state, so the same bottle can differ by several thousand rupees depending on the city. Retail price tracker Livcheers lists Rampur Double Cask 750 ml at Rs 7,210 in Delhi and Rs 12,500 in Mumbai, while Mumbai airport duty free listed it at Rs 9,600 on Adani One. In the same listings, Paul John Brilliance 750 ml is priced at Rs 3,700 in Delhi and Rs 3,600 in Bengaluru, and Paul John Edited at Rs 5,000.

Paul John Whisky Price In India

Price trackers put Paul John Bold at roughly Rs 4,200 to Rs 6,000 and Classic Select Cask at Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000, while Rampur Asava is listed at around Rs 8,000 to Rs 8,600. These are third-party listings and can change, so confirm the current price with a licensed retailer in your state before buying.

Rampur vs Paul John: Awards

Paul John's Port Select Cask, bottled at 48 per cent ABV and unpeated, was named Best Indian Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards 2026, also winning Gold and Category Winner in the no age statement single malt category, while master distiller Michael D'Souza was named World's Best Master Distiller or Blender at the same ceremony. Paul John Brilliance was named Best in Show and Best Indian Single Malt at the India Wine & Spirits Awards 2024, and the brand says its whiskies have won more than 200 international awards.

Rampur's best-known recognition is for Asava, which Radico Khaitan says was honoured as Best World Whisky 2023 by the John Barleycorn Awards.

Rampur Or Paul John: Which Should You Buy?

Neither is an outright winner. Choose Rampur Double Cask if you like a rounded, sherry-influenced single malt, and Rampur Asava if you want something with darker, wine-cask fruit. Choose Paul John Brilliance for a brighter, unpeated dram, Bold if you want peat, or the Select Cask range if you prefer cask strength. On price in India, Paul John is the easier entry point in most states, with Brilliance listed at roughly half the price of Rampur Double Cask in Delhi. In the end, the best Indian single malt is the one that suits your palate and your budget.