A master distiller, Michael D’Souza, visited South Africa recently to share a few notes with whisky connoisseurs on the great Indian single malt.
When a master distiller arrives in South Africa from a part of the world that is equally diverse, the result is a spirited confluence of cultures and expressions.
On Michael D’Souza’s first trip to the ‘Rainbow Nation’ from India, he was pleasantly surprised that besides the weather and the people, even the local food reminded him of a vibrancy he thought was only to be found back home. The similarities made him instantly feel at home.
“India is a massively diverse nation. There are different religions, cultures, colors and different foods. It is very vibrant; the vibrancy is what we wanted to have inside the bottle,” he says, when we meet him on a balmy Friday evening in November in Sandton, Africa’s richest square mile.
D’Souza has been making single malt whiskies for John Distilleries since 2008 in Goa, the Indian destination deemed a tropical paradise the world over for its sandy beaches, swaying palms and uber-cool vibe.
Inspired by this trip to South Africa, D’Souza now wants to create a fusion that combines unique tastes from both regions.
“After tasting a couple of South African gins, and to be honest, I have always thought about creating craft gin, I am thinking of making a South African botanic infused gin. It can be an infusion of Indian spices and botanicals mixed with South African botanicals. India is famous for its own spices, especially coriander and cumin. I can infuse this with some of the South African botanicals like rooibos.”
D’Souza, who has been in this profession for 25 years now, enjoys traveling the world to explore drinking cultures whilst offering his palate a taste of different blends.
Founded in 1992 by Paul P. John, Paul John Single Malt Whisky has won over 200 international awards in six years and is present in 35 countries around the world.The company distributes about 40,000 cases of whisky.
For D’Souza, the shift in India’s drinking culture can be judged by the increasing demand for single malt whiskies despite being 15 years behind the western and European markets.
“India is one of the world’s emerging economies and the buying capacity of people is increasing. They are gradually shifting from cheaper whiskies to premium whiskies. A lot of youngsters travel the world and once they come back, they change their drinking preferences.”
The man who enjoys his whisky neat says the company decided to grow into international markets faster.
Paul John Single Malt Whisky has been distributed in South Africa for over a year.
On his recent two-week tour, D’Souza visited Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.
“Johannesburg is one of the biggest markets for us… I found that it is a mix of quality and cost-consciousness. I have been to a lot of big retailers and I saw a lot of Irish and blended whiskies selling.”
Back home in coastal Goa, the climate not only adds flavor to the fusion but allows the spirit to mature faster.
“India is a different region altogether. The beauty of whisky is that each and every whisky will have its own regional characteristics because once distilled, the spirits go inside the wooden cask. Once it is filled, it not only interacts with the wood, but also with the world,” says D’Souza.
The distilled barley, found at the foothills of the Himalayas, absorbs the saltiness through the pores of the oak cask adding more character to the whisky.
D’Souza, who presented a whisky masterclass at the 2018 Whisky & Spirits Live Festival in Sandton, Johannesburg, attests: “Our whisky has been received very well by South Africans.”