India’s first single-cask scotch curator launches amid FTA-driven tariff relief

Isthmus 44, a Gurugram-based venture, launched its debut release on 25 August 2026, positioning itself as India’s first curatorial house dedicated to sourcing and presenting single-cask Scotch whisky to Indian collectors.

The company’s inaugural release, Chapter I, is a nine-year-old single malt from The GlenAllachie Distillery in Speyside, distilled in October 2016 and bottled in January 2026 at 46.2 per cent ABV. Matured in an ex-Oloroso sherry hogshead, the release comprises 343 numbered bottles priced at ₹12,000 MRP. It is presented without chill filtration or added colour.

The launch coincides with a significant shift in India’s Scotch import regime. The India-UK Free Trade Agreement has halved the existing 150 per cent tariff on Scotch whisky to 75 per cent, with further reductions scheduled over coming years. The change is expected to improve market access for premium and independent Scotch producers targeting Indian buyers.

Isthmus 44’s model mirrors the independent bottler tradition established in the UK, where individual casks are selected based on provenance, maturation character and sensory evaluation rather than being blended into standard commercial releases. Each cask yields a finite quantity of bottles that cannot be replicated once sold out.

Founder Sachin Uppal introduced the release at Oak & Cru, The Quorum, Gurugram, before an audience of collectors, trade professionals and industry veterans. Casks sourced by the company are evaluated by an expert panel and bottled in Scotland under Scotch Whisky Association regulations before being imported to India as numbered releases.

Bottle holders of Chapter I are enrolled in The Circle, a register granting early access to future release information and panel notes. The company said retail and on-trade distribution would remain selective, prioritising informed presentation over broad market penetration.

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