Paul John and SMAC unveil The Doppelgänger

Paul John Indian Single Malt whiskey and SMAC India (Single Malt Amateur Club) have unveiled their fourth exclusive Single Cask release, Cask #24194, christened ‘The Doppelgänger’. Limited to just 156 bottles, the expression brings together the character of Indian Single Malt with the influence of an American White Oak Sazerac Rye Cask, previously used to mature Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey.

With close to nine years of tropical maturation behind it, the whiskey carries a dark copper hue, with dried cherry, apricot, liquorice and hints of plum cake on the nose, followed by spiced chocolate, warm cinnamon roll, vanilla and fluffy caramel custard on the palate, leading to a rich finish of caramel toffee and lingering vanilla.

For the first time in the Paul John-SMAC Single Cask collaboration, a Sazerac Rye cask sits at the centre of the maturation story. Its influence goes beyond a simple layer of spice: the mature malt takes on added depth through rye character, cinnamon warmth, dried-fruit richness, chocolate, vanilla and caramel, creating a profile that moves between sweet, spicy and dessert-led notes while retaining Paul John’s concentrated tropical character.

The Doppelgänger is more than a Single Cask. It is the latest chapter in a partnership that has played an important role in building India’s whiskey club culture. SMAC was the first whiskey club in India to embark on a dedicated Single Cask journey with Paul John whiskey, creating an opportunity for members to access an expression developed specifically for the community. 

The first Paul John Single Cask for SMAC, Cask #6028, was unveiled in 2020, followed by the twin releases ALTER and EGO. The Doppelgänger is the fourth Paul John-SMAC Single Cask collaboration and marks SMAC India’s 11th exclusive whiskey edition for the club, extending a wider programme of community-led releases developed with whiskey producers and partners.

Globally, collaborations between distilleries and whiskey clubs have long given enthusiasts an opportunity to move beyond the core portfolio and become part of the discovery process itself. In India, where whiskey appreciation is increasingly being shaped by tasting communities, clubs and enthusiasts seeking greater understanding of provenance, cask influence and individuality, the Paul John-SMAC association has helped bring this model into the Indian Single Malt landscape.

Commenting on the release, Paul P John, chairman, Paul John Indian Single Malt whiskey, said, “Our association with SMAC has always been about more than creating an exclusive bottle. It has been about bringing whiskey enthusiasts closer to the spirit and making them part of the journey. The Doppelgänger is particularly special because the community experienced the cask without knowing its identity and chose it purely on what they found in the glass. That trust makes this fourth release a meaningful milestone in our journey together.”

Hemanth A Rao, founder, SMAC India, said, “For us, the most exciting part is that members chose the whiskey before they knew anything about it. There was no age, cask or identity to influence the room – only the liquid. What came afterwards made that choice even more fascinating. This is a nearly nine-year-old Single Cask, and for the first time in our collaboration with Paul John we are seeing what an American White Oak Sazerac Rye cask can do to a mature Indian malt. It brings far more than rye spice: there are layers of dried fruit, liquorice, cinnamon, chocolate, vanilla and caramel running through the whiskey. Many of us initially read those rich, dark-fruit and dessert notes as sherry-like, but there was no sherry cask involved. That is exactly why the name The Doppelgänger felt right. It is a whiskey that challenged our assumptions, and one the community chose entirely on taste.”

Priced at Rs 8,200, The Doppelgänger was bottled in September 2026 and unveiled during Spirits by the Shore 2026, SMAC India®’s annual whiskey-led destination tour and community gathering, at the Paul John Visitor Centre in Goa. The limited allocation is being made available across Goa and Karnataka. While the Paul John Visitor Centre remains at the heart of the annual SMAC experience, extending the allocation to Karnataka reflects the growing reach of the community and its continued interest in exploring distinctive Paul John expressions.

With its fourth consecutive Single Cask release, the Paul John and SMAC partnership continues to demonstrate how whiskey culture can be built not just through what is put in the bottle, but through the people who gather around it – tasting, questioning, choosing and discovering together, one cask at a time.