What they say

All the brilliance of Goa is bottled up in this Single Malt. Its sparkling hues are reminiscent of sun-kissed beaches. The six-row barley for this whisky comes from the foothills of the Himalayas. Brilliance is matured in bourbon casks, to give you absolute sensory delight. It couldn’t gather more brilliance than this!

Official tasting notes

• Nose : The  Demerara sugars give off a whiff of sweet fragrances, with a hint of cinnamon, dash of honey and faint spices.
• Palate : Sweet and spice and all things nice, make this Single Malt. The honey-like smoothness is offset by the crunchy-bar-like crispness. Somewhere, there is also a tinge of cocoa.
• Finish : Brilliance has a smooth and beautifully relaxed finish, with a hint of mild spices and deep intense vanilla.
• Colour : Sparkling copper.
• Pairing : With its rich accents of vanilla and subtle hints of spice, this Single Malt is the ideal accompaniment to luscious fruit pies and Indian grilled meat dishes.

What I say

Revisiting Paul John Brilliance expression under quite different circumstances. The last time I had this was at a real tasting with Shilton as entertainment and font of all knowledge on Paul John. This one was sampled as part of a tasting set, at home, alone.

• ABV 46%
• Age NAS
• Bottler Paul John (Official)
• Bottling Brilliance
• Cask Bourbon
• Category Single malt whisky
• Cost £42.95
• Origin Paul John Distillery
• Outturn n/a
• Region India
• Released 2021
• Vintage undisclosed

My tasting notes

• Appearance Light gold (6/20), large tears and thick legs.
• Nose Sweet, yeasty and beery, plenty of citrus plus green apples, pear, touch of lychee, grassy hay, vanilla and floral notes.
• Taste Medium-bodied, malty sugars and soft fruits lead, vanilla, some honey, caramel, butterscotch, touch of orange zest, lemon meringue pie.
• Finish Medium, slightly spiced and drying with sweet honey and vanilla.
• Overall Solid, sweet and malty and some good fruity and floral notes too. Not too spirity and a touch spicy and drying at the end to keep it interesting.

Score 82/100

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