Celebrate Holi with these 6 premium new spirits

A 31-year-old single malt, a luxury tequila, and a brand new blended Indian whisky – raise a glass to Holi with these exciting new releases.

If you're looking for the perfect way to kick off your Holi celebrations, these new premium spirits have you covered. From rich, wine-cask-finished whiskies to smooth tequilas and bold bourbons, there's something for every taste. Here are our top picks from the latest launches available in select cities.

From rich, wine-cask-finished whiskies to smooth tequilas and bold bourbons, there's something for every taste.(Shutterstock)

Glenfiddich Grand Chateau 31

Glenfiddich Grand Chateau is 31 years old.

With the 31-year-old Grand Château, its first release to use red wine casks, Glenfiddich has married Speyside with Bordeaux. The whisky was matured in American oak before being finished for about nine years in red wine casks from the French wine-growing region. The distillery describes it as an “opulent, yet earthy liquid” that is both fruity and floral. Glenfiddich’s master distiller, Brian Kinsman, says that while wine cask maturation has become increasingly popular for single malts, it is still relatively rare to see whiskies finished in Bordeaux red wine casks. The Grand Château 31, the latest addition to the Grand Series after the Yozakura and Gran Reserva, features packaging and bottle artwork by André Saraiva, one of Paris’s most prominent street artists. The whisky is currently available in Kolkata for ₹2,52,000.

Volcán Tequila

Louis Vuitton-Moët-Hennessy’s luxury tequila brand, Volcán de Mi Tierra, comes in three traditional expressions— Blanco, Reposado, and Cristalino — along with X.A., which blends 100% blue agave Reposado, Añejo, and Extra Añejo tequilas. Volcán is one of only five tequilas worldwide with a single NOM (Norma Oficial Mexicana)—a certification number that identifies the distillery where the tequila is produced. Distilled in Jalisco, Mexico, by the Gallardo family, it is available in Goa, Haryana, Mumbai, and at major airports in India, with prices starting at ₹10,267 for Volcán Blanco and going up to ₹39,107 for Volcán X.A.

Dram Bell Whisky

Dram Bell Whisky.

Mumbai-based Ardent Alcobev, which aims to become a major player in the ‘bottled-in-origin’ spirits segment, has entered the market with Dram Bell Whisky. Bottled-in-origin (BIO) spirits are produced and bottled outside India before being imported. The company has brought former English cricketer Kevin Pietersen on board as a marquee investor. Distilled, blended, and bottled in Scotland by Angus Dundee Distillers, Dram Bell is available in two expressions—Premium and Reserve—priced at ₹1,750 and ₹2,450, respectively, in Maharashtra.

Weller Bourbon

Weller Bourbon.

If the recent tariff cut on whiskey has made you curious about bourbon, Weller is worth exploring. Distilled at the iconic Buffalo Trace distillery, Weller is famous for its wheated bourbons, where wheat replaces rye as the secondary flavoring grain. Weller expressions available in India include Special Reserve and 12-Year-Old, the latter being one of the first age-stated bourbons introduced here. Known for its smooth profile, Weller is part of the Sazerac portfolio, one of the world’s largest privately owned distilled spirits companies. Currently available in Mumbai and Gurgaon, Weller Special Reserve is priced between ₹2,500 (Haryana) and ₹4,500 (Mumbai), while Weller 12-Year-Old ranges from ₹5,400 (Haryana) to ₹7,750 (Mumbai).

Fino Tequila

Less than a year after Loca Loka, backed by actor and entrepreneur Rana Daggubati and composer Anirudh Ravichander, hit shelves in the US, another celebrity has entered the tequila business. Cricketer Yuvraj Singh, a lover of fine spirits, recently launched Fino, along with a collective of entrepreneurs in Chicago. Distilled in Jalisco from blue Weber agave, the tequila will initially be available at duty-free outlets in India, with a national launch expected around the middle of the year. Fino is expected to be priced at approximately ₹25,000.

Otherside Whisky

Otherside Whisky.

Stranger & Sons Gin maker Third Eye Distillery has entered the whisky market with Otherside. The blended whisky is made and aged in India, with a finishing process in charred ex-bourbon barrels using the Solera method. The whisky is aged in the Deccan and Sahyadri before undergoing Solera finishing at Third Eye Distillery in Goa. The Solera method, a maturation process used mainly by rum distilleries in south and central America, involves a cascading system of barrels where a portion of the oldest whisky is drawn for bottling, and the remaining volume is replenished with younger whisky from the next tier. Bottled at 40% ABV, Otherside is now available in Goa and Maharashtra, priced between ₹2,100 and ₹3,250.