Raise a glass to whiskies aged in Mizunara oak
Spirits with Japanese oak finish are gaining fans in India, slowly and steadily The Mizunara oak needs to be a minimum of 200 years old, before it can be used in barrels
has more potential than China because people here worship gold, which is not the case anywhere else on a such a scale. It’s not because of the GDP that India is behind. It’s just a matter of accessibility.
I see India in a bullish way, as long as we can find locations. We plan to go up to five stores and expand our network of retailers, but ideally I would want to open 10 stores. For instance, we want to open in Hyderabad and Kolkata but, unfortunately, there aren’t any relevant spaces. And it’s surprising because Indians are more than ever desiring luxury.
They want Indian jewellery, and Western jewellery and watches, and they are buying them while travelling to Europe, Dubai or the US. So, we are highly confident about the Indian customer.
What makes you so confident?
Jewellery has been important in India for thousands of years. Today, India is No.1 when it comes to buying gold jewellery. And jewellery is not just a piece of jewellery here. There’s cultural importance attached to it, with people worshipping gold, silver and gems during festivals and on special occasions like weddings. As the population is growing, the appetite for jewellery is also on the rise, making enough room for local and international brands. No other country loves jewellery as much as India.
That’s perhaps the reason for India-inspired pieces like the ‘mangalsutra’ and the ‘kada’?
Of course. These are the kinds of jewellery don’t even exist in Western culture. When you get married in Europe, in China or in Japan, the man doesn’t get any necklace or bracelet. There’s the ring and may be a watch, but that’s it. So, as a Western jeweller, we trying to bring something together that celebrates the Indian tradition. Through these pieces, we also want to show how Roman and Indian jewellery techniques are similar.
How?
Both the cultures are almost equally old and they are among the most ancient goldsmiths on the planet. In terms of mentality, I think Romans and Indians are similar—outspoken, believe in enjoying life. They also like statement pieces. So, it makes sense to fuse Roman and Indian jewellery aesthetics together, and it’s a hit combination.
How often does the India design language inspire Bvlgari designs?
The Roman culture has had influences from across the world. Our rulers were foreigners, not Italians. They were born in Africa, Spain, Turkey. So our jewellery was also influenced by different cultures. That’s why we try to be as inclusive as possible. For example, we introduced a gem cut nine years ago inspired by the shapes of tiles used in Jaipur roofs, which we noticed during a gem sourcing trip. India is always influencing Bvlgari.
What is the shopper looking for in jewellery?
Unisex jewellery, it’s becoming bigger. For India, of course, it’s not something new because men have been wearing big necklaces and kadas for the longest time. But in societies like China, Europe and America, the trend is pretty new and picking up quickly. That’s why the kada won’t just stay in India, it will be globally available. Same trend in watches as well.
Your favourite piece of jewellery?
My wedding ring (shaped like stacked bangles); it’s unisex. I knew about the trend before it even started (laughs).
The first sip of a whisky aged in the oak indigenous to Japan, Mizunara, provides a taste of vanilla notes, but there is a touch of something exotic, something that’s missing in the usual Scotches and bourbons. The flavour reminds one of incense sticks with sandalwood notes, the finish, though, is crisp and clean with a hint of coconut-like sweetness.
This unique taste has helped the Japanese Mizunara oak cask gain a global fan following. Scotland, for instance, has several Mizunara cask finishes by brands like Chivas Regal, Dewar’s, and Bowmore. American Bourbon, too, is witnessing growth of Mizunara cask finishes such as Angel’s Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Japanese Mizunara Oak Casks, released in 2020, and Rabbit Hole Mizunara Founder’s Collection, in 2021. In India, the taste for the Japanese whisky is growing, albeit slowly and steadily.
“Japanese whisky’s success is rooted in a deep commitment to tradition, a meticulous sense of structure, and a mastery of the intricate processes involved in its production,” says sommelier Nikhil Agarwal, while explaining the reason behind the rise in interest in Japanese whisky aged in Mizunara oak in India.
The origin of whisky finished in Mizunara oak casks can be traced back to the 1940s. At the peak of World War II, trade restrictions threatened the Japanese whisky makers’ access to oak casks from the US and Europe, leading to the introduction of Mizunara oak into whisky-ageing and maturing. It’s a native Japanese oak from Hokkaido, and its dominant notes are sandalwood, incense, floral and coconut.
Apart from the character it imparts to the spirit, Mizunara is deviously difficult to harness. American oak, for example, is ready to harvest in 100-130 years. European oak takes around 150 years.
“Japanese Mizunara oak is particularly difficult to work with because the trees will need to be a minimum of 200 years old, even before you think of using them in barrels,” says Rohan Jelkie, programme manager at The Blend, Beam Suntory India. The spirits company launched its centennial limited-edition Yamazaki 18-year-old Mizunara 100th Anniversary Edition last year, priced ₹3 lakh a bottle. “It can take up to 300 years.”
For Indians, one of the biggest challenges is access to Mizunara finishes. Besides the Beam Suntory offering, Dewar’s Japanese Smooth Mizunara Cask Finish, released in 2022, is the only other option at a more pocket-friendly price of ₹2,800 a bottle.
Using Mizunara casks for producing single malts in India is daunting. “Mizunara oak casks have large pores, which lead to substantial liquid seepage during the ageing process. Indian single malts are less likely to find potential in this particular variety of casks, where the hot and humid climate accelerates evaporation,” says Siddhartha Sharma, founder of Haryana-based Piccadily Distilleries, the parent company of Indri Trini whisky.
There is a way around it, though, he says. “There is a lot of scope for experimentation in finishing Indian single malts by soaking oak staves made of Mizunara, for a shorter time.”