The Rampur Jugalbandi series is the most ambitious cask experiment in Indian whisky, and having tasted all eight editions, we can say it lives up to the idea. Each release pairs Rampur’s bourbon-matured single malt with one distinctive second cask, from Moscatel and Calvados to Mizunara oak and PX sherry, bottled at cask strength. The series ran from 2022 to 2025, two editions a year, and completing the full set in one tasting is the clearest way to understand what India’s oldest distillery can do with wood. This is our review of the whole collection, ranked, with notes on each and which one to chase.
What is the Rampur Jugalbandi series?
Jugalbandi is a term from Indian classical music for a duet between two soloists playing contrasting instruments in harmony. Rampur’s master distiller Anup Barik took the idea and applied it to casks: every Jugalbandi starts life in American bourbon barrels and is then married with one second cask, so each bottle is a duet between the bourbon base and a single distinctive partner.
The series launched at Whisky Live Paris in 2022 with the first two editions, then released a new pair each year, before the final two were unveiled at the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes in 2025. That makes eight editions in total, each bottled at cask strength and in strictly limited numbers. Born at the Rampur distillery, which has been making whisky since 1943, the series is the clearest showcase of the distillery’s reputation as the most cask-experimental in India.
The constant across all eight is the bourbon-matured Rampur spirit, with its tropical, fruit-forward signature. The variable is the second cask, and that is what makes tasting the series in sequence such a useful exercise: the base stays the same, so each edition becomes a clean lesson in what one cask type does to the same whisky.
The Rampur Jugalbandi series in full
Here is the complete collection, all eight editions, with the second cask and the character each brings.
| Edition | Second cask | Character |
|---|---|---|
| No.1 | Moscatel | Dark dried fruit and complex spice |
| No.2 | Calvados | Sweet baked apple |
| No.3 | Port | Velvety, sweet plum cake |
| No.4 | IPA (Indian Pale Ale) | Hops, pear, green apple, floral |
| No.5 | Tokaji | Sweetness and warm spice |
| No.6 | Madeira | Floral, citrus, tropical |
| No.7 | Mizunara oak | Sandalwood, green tea, cherry blossom |
| No.8 | PX sherry | Dried fruit, fig jam, dark chocolate |
All eight share an ex-bourbon base and are bottled at cask strength, typically in the 54 to 58% range.
Tasting through all eight
Tasting the complete series in one sitting is the best argument for Rampur’s whole approach, because the bourbon base stays constant and every edition becomes a single, clean experiment in cask influence.
The early editions set the range. The No.1 Moscatel piles on dark dried fruit and spice, the No.2 Calvados swings the whole thing toward sweet baked apple, and the No.3 Port is the easiest to love, velvety and rich like plum cake. The No.4 IPA is the most genuinely surprising of the eight, doing something with hops, pear and green apple that no other whisky in this category attempts.
The middle and later editions push into more luxurious territory. The No.5 Tokaji brings a Hungarian dessert-wine sweetness and spice, and the No.6 Madeira is our personal favourite of the set, floral and citrus-bright over Rampur’s tropical core, and a deserved winner of Best World Single Malt at the John Barleycorn Awards 2025. The final pair, unveiled at Cannes, close the series in style: the No.7 Mizunara is the most unusual, weaving Japanese sandalwood, green tea and cherry blossom into the Indian spirit, while the No.8 PX sherry is the most indulgent, all fig jam, dark chocolate and dried fruit, a dessert in a glass to finish the collection.
Seen together, no other Indian distillery, and very few anywhere, has run a cask programme this varied and this consistent. Some editions land more cleanly than others, which is the nature of experimenting at this scale, but there is not a weak link that feels like filler. That is the real achievement.
Which Rampur Jugalbandi should you buy?
If you want one bottle, the choice depends on your taste. For richness and an easy entry, the No.3 Port is the crowd-pleaser. For something genuinely different, the No.4 IPA or the No.7 Mizunara will give you a whisky you have not tasted before. For our money, the No.6 Madeira is the most complete of the set, and the No.8 PX sherry is the most decadent way to end the series.
These are cask-strength, limited releases, so availability is the real constraint rather than choice. If you find one that matches a flavour you love, buy it, because the series is now complete and these will only get harder to track down.
Price and availability
The Jugalbandi editions are cask-strength limited releases and priced accordingly, typically from around £130 a bottle, with the later and rarer editions climbing higher, and a US recommended price near $400 for the final pair. Prices vary between markets because of local taxes and duty.
The series has been strongest in travel retail, France through La Maison du Whisky, and the US through specialist importers, with UK availability through the major whisky specialists. As a completed, limited collection, individual editions increasingly move on the secondary market above their original price.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Rampur Jugalbandi series? The Rampur Jugalbandi series is a collection of eight cask-strength Indian single malts from Rampur distillery, released between 2022 and 2025. Each edition pairs the bourbon-matured Rampur spirit with one distinctive second cask. The name comes from the duet form in Indian classical music, reflecting the harmony of two casks.
How many Rampur Jugalbandi editions are there? There are eight editions in total, released two a year from 2022 to 2025. The second casks are Moscatel (No.1), Calvados (No.2), Port (No.3), IPA (No.4), Tokaji (No.5), Madeira (No.6), Mizunara oak (No.7) and PX sherry (No.8). The final two were unveiled at TFWA Cannes in 2025.
Which Rampur Jugalbandi is the best? It depends on taste, but the No.6 Madeira is among the most complete, and won Best World Single Malt at the John Barleycorn Awards 2025. The No.3 Port is the easiest crowd-pleaser, while the No.4 IPA and No.7 Mizunara are the most unusual and distinctive of the eight.
What ABV is the Rampur Jugalbandi series? Every Jugalbandi edition is bottled at cask strength, typically in the 54 to 58% range, without chill-filtration or added colour. The exact strength varies by edition, with each drawn from the cask at full power rather than reduced to a standard bottling strength.
Where can I buy the Rampur Jugalbandi series? The series has sold mainly through travel retail, La Maison du Whisky in France, specialist importers in the US, and the major whisky specialists in the UK. As a completed, limited collection, individual editions are increasingly found on the secondary market rather than at standard retail.
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