Could this cask unlock India’s whisky potential?
Whiskymaker Dhavall Gandhi unveils Solares – a new cask engineered to tackle the challenges of tropical maturation and offer Indian producers a scalable, sustainable solution.
Dhavall Gandhi has launched a whisky cask tailored for India’s tropical climate, aiming to improve consistency and unlock growth for the country’s fast-evolving spirits sector.
Developed in partnership with Spanish cooperage and winemakers José y Miguel Martín, the Solares cask addresses the maturation issues caused by India’s higher temperatures – which can lead to flavour imbalance and batch inconsistency.
“Whisky maturation has traditionally been shaped by the cooler climates of Scotland and Ireland,” Gandhi said. “But in tropical regions like India, accelerated extraction due to higher temperatures often results in imbalance, and the unreliable quality of available casks frequently leads to batch-to-batch inconsistency.”
Each 225L ex-wine barrique is sourced from Rioja and Ribera del Duero, and undergoes proprietary transformation and seasoning techniques designed to deliver balance, depth and reliability. Gandhi described the project as “creating the foundation for scalable growth, without compromising on quality or consistency”.
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Three cask styles
The casks come in three distinct variants: DULCE (rich and sweet), MEDIO (balanced), and SECO (dry and complex). Such tiers giving distillers control over house style development.
Sustainability is central to the design. The project repurposes existing wine casks, avoiding fresh oak harvesting, and is powered entirely by renewable energy sources. Gandhi’s team said this circular approach helps reduce waste, deforestation, and carbon emissions.
Years of R&D at Puerto de Santa María in Spain underpins the product, which is now in active use by Indian whisky producers. Gandhi said the casks are also showing promise in rum and other tropical spirits.
A key selling point for Solares is supply chain control. Casks are sourced in bulk directly from wineries and transformed quickly to maintain quality. Gandhi said this vertical integration supports production planning and minimises batch variability.
Known for his work with The Macallan and The Lakes Distillery, Gandhi is a strategic advisor to several family-owned and established whisky businesses through his firm DHAVALL GANDHI. He will present Solares at AlcoBev India 2025 – a new industry conclave taking place on 23 April at the Taj Palace in New Delhi.
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