Indri Agneya is the Indian whisky that surprises people: a peated single malt from a country better known for tropical fruit bombs. It is Indri’s first peated release, lightly peated to the same phenol level as Talisker but softened by India’s heat, so it sits in a sweet spot between smoke and fruit. The smoke hits hard on the nose, then pulls back on the palate into Indri’s signature tropical character. At 46% ABV, non-chill-filtered, and priced just above the flagship Trini, it is one of the most interesting peated whiskies in world whisky right now, and a brilliant way to introduce a smoke-shy drinker to peat. This is our review.
What is Indri Agneya?
Agneya is the first peated whisky from Indri, the fast-rising single malt from Piccadily Distilleries in Haryana, near the Himalayan foothills. Its name comes from the Sanskrit for “belonging to fire”, and unlike Indri’s annual Diwali editions, it is an ongoing, year-round release.
The peat is the story. Agneya is made from 100% six-row Indian barley, kilned to 25 phenol parts per million, the same level as Talisker, using peat imported from Scotland and malted in India. That sounds heavily peated on paper, but India’s sub-tropical climate softens the phenols considerably as the whisky matures, so what reaches the glass is genuinely “lightly peated” rather than an Islay-style bruiser. It is double-distilled in copper pot stills, matured separately in first-fill bourbon, Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks, then married together, all overseen by master blender Surrinder Kumar. It is bottled at 46% ABV, non-chill-filtered and with no added colour.
It arrived in late 2025 and was an immediate award winner, taking a Double Gold at the New York World Spirits Competition and a Gold at the World Whiskies Awards 2026. Indri pitches it, rightly, as a whisky for people curious about smoke but not ready for the full intensity of Islay.
Indri Agneya tasting note
The defining feature of Agneya is the gap between the nose and the palate. The smoke is assertive when you first lift the glass, then steps back and lets the fruit take over once you drink it.
Nose: strong dried-peat smoke up front, more forward than the “lightly peated” label suggests, with chocolate, vanilla, dried apple, apricot and fruit jam underneath
Palate: much milder smoke, folded into Indri’s tropical fruit, mango, banana and melon, with toffee, sultana and light spice
Finish: gentle peat, baking spice and sweet malt, balanced and clean
ABV:46% | Casks: first-fill bourbon, PX and Oloroso sherry | Peat: 25 ppm | NAS | Non-chill-filtered
What we make of Indri Agneya
We first tasted Agneya at a blind tasting, and it was the talking point of the night. Several of the guests did not realise India made peated whisky at all, and the moment the smoke hit the nose they reached straight for Islay as the comparison. What threw them was that the flavour did not follow through the way an Islay malt would: the smoke that promised so much on the nose turned mild and fruit-wrapped on the palate. They loved it, and they were genuinely surprised by where the notes went.
That nose-to-palate contrast is the whole character of the whisky, and it caught us off guard too. The dried-peat smoke comes through strongly at first, stronger than we expected from something billed as lightly peated. Then on the palate it pulls right back, sitting alongside the tropical fruit rather than over it, so the drinking experience is gentler and sweeter than the first sniff leads you to believe.
That makes it an exciting dram and, more usefully, a clever one. If you have a friend who thinks they hate peat because they once had a mouthful of cask-strength Islay, Agneya is the bottle to change their mind: it gives them the drama of smoke on the nose without the medicinal intensity on the palate. As a smoky Indian single malt, it is genuinely its own thing, and that is exactly why it lands so well in a tasting.
Price and where to buy
Indri Agneya is sensibly priced, sitting just above the flagship Trini at roughly £40 to £50 in the UK, or around $75 in the US, which is excellent value for a non-chill-filtered, award-winning peated single malt. Prices vary between markets because of local taxes and duty.
In the UK, Agneya is becoming widely available through the major whisky specialists, and as an ongoing release rather than a limited edition, it is far easier to find than Indri’s Diwali bottlings. Most specialist retailers ship internationally.
Is Indri Agneya worth it?
Yes. Agneya does something genuinely new: an Indian take on peat that uses smoke for drama on the nose and fruit for pleasure on the palate. It is not trying to out-Islay Islay, and it is better for it. At the price, it is one of the most rewarding peated whiskies you can buy, and the easiest entry point into smoke we have handed a nervous drinker in a long time.
For a peat lover, it is a fascinating change of accent. For a peat sceptic, it might be the bottle that converts you. Either way, a smoky Indian single malt this well judged is worth a place on the shelf.
Frequently asked questions
What is Indri Agneya? Indri Agneya is the first peated single malt from Indri, made in Haryana near the Himalayan foothills. Its name means “belonging to fire” in Sanskrit. It is lightly peated to 25 ppm using Scottish peat malted in India, matured in bourbon and sherry casks, and bottled at 46% ABV, non-chill-filtered.
Is Indri Agneya heavily peated? No. Although the barley is kilned to 25 ppm, the same level as Talisker, India’s warm climate softens the phenols as the whisky matures, so it drinks as a lightly peated whisky. The smoke is strong on the nose but much milder on the palate, where Indri’s tropical fruit takes over.
What does Indri Agneya taste like? Indri Agneya has assertive dried-peat smoke on the nose, with chocolate, vanilla and dried fruit underneath. On the palate the smoke softens considerably, folded into tropical fruit like mango and banana, with toffee, sultana and light spice. The finish is gentle, with mild peat and baking spice.
How does Indri Agneya compare to Islay whisky? The smoke on the nose invites the Islay comparison, but Agneya is much gentler and fruitier on the palate than a typical Islay malt. It lacks the medicinal, maritime intensity of Islay, offering instead a lightly smoky, tropical character. It makes an ideal introduction to peat for drinkers wary of Islay.
How much does Indri Agneya cost? Indri Agneya costs roughly £40 to £50 in the UK, or around $75 in the US, sitting just above the flagship Trini in price. It is excellent value for a non-chill-filtered, award-winning peated single malt. Prices vary between markets because of local taxes and duty.
Related guides: Indri distillery profile | Indian single malt whisky guide | The best Indian single malts of 2026 | Indian single malt vs Scotch
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