Mr Prem Dewan opens up on the new ventures, competitions of DeVANS Modern Breweries, read on

New Delhi: GianChand is the first Indian single malt whisky from the house of DeVANS which has been producing a wide range of award-winning beers and finest quality malt spirit since decades. In an exclusive conversation with us, Mr Prem Dewan, Chairman and Managing Director of DeVANS Modern Breweries Ltd. opened up on his new venture.

Q- What prompted DeVANS foray into the single malt category after being one of the oldest bulk producers of malt spirit and iconic beer brands?

A- We have been producing premium quality malt spirit for decades which we have been supplying regularly to liquor units all over the country. There has been a regular increase in the demand of our malt spirit every passing year but have stopped accepting fresh customers since the last few years due to capacity constraints. The quality of our matured malt spirit is well respected in the industry. For years now, our malt spirits have been used by other brands for blending purpose. As such it was a natural stepping stone for us to enter the bottled single malt whisky market with our very own brand and the fact that we had just completed 60 years of existence acted as a catalyst. 

Q- What is unique about GianChand as compared to other single malts in Indian market?

A- Our exquisite single malt is an ode to our founder Dewan Gian Chand who started his career as a journalist and branched off into the liquor business in 1942 before taking the plunge into manufacturing.

Named after the company’s founder, Dewan Gian Chand, it is the most delicate Indian malt with a pineapple drop candy sweetness carried hand-in-hand by barley and a firm vanilla backbone. It further comprises thin oils that ensure the tannin build. The flavors in the premium single malt have been optimized by unique systems developed over decades while the ideal Jammu weather and topography has also played its part in the process. The product is smooth, well rounded, slightly peaty and easy to drink and has got excellent reviews from the consumers.

As regards comparison with other Indian single malts in the market, I would only say that no two single malts are alike but we have created an exceptional product.

Q- What are the ingredients and flavours associated with the newest homegrown single malt whisky?

A- GianChand Single Malt Premium Whisky by DeVANS is far more delicate and refined than any other Indian single malt, with soft barley and spice taking distinct yet vital paths as complexity increases. Although the casks have matured for several years in high heat, the oak involvement is gloriously restrained, allowing the fragile malt and exotic fruit notes space to perform. We use Indian 6-row barley and find it most appropriate for our purpose. The only ingredients in GianChand are matured malt spirits and water.

Q- Are more variants/ flavours of the GianChand expected anytime soon?

A- Yes, a few more variants of GianChand Single Malt are on the anvil in the very near future, and an announcement about the same would be made at an appropriate time.

Q- Which markets have the product been made available initially in price range? What are the future plans?

A- GianChand Indian Single Malt Whisky is currently available in Delhi, Ladakh and Jammu and would soon be introduced in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Chandigarh. The immediate plan is to make it available across 10 states at the earliest. In Delhi, the price of a bottle of GianChand is INR 4490 in Delhi, but it varies across different states.

Q- Tell us about your existing range of spirits/beers. Is there any scope for product portfolio diversification?

A- DeVANS has been one of the pioneering producers of beers in India, with Godfather being our flagship beer brand. The beer with an iconic stature has two variants – Godfather Legendary with 7.2% abv and Godfather Super 8 with 8% abv, which is the maximum permissible in India. The other popular beer brand from DeVANS are Six Fields, a Belgian-style wheat beer that comes in two flavorful variants – Six Fields Cult and Six Fields Blanche boasting of citrusy spin along with lingering freshness of orange peel and sweet and aromatic hints of coriander. We are also marketing Kotsberg Premium Pils – with 4.5% abv. We have been focusing on the quality of our products and all our beers have regularly been winning awards in blind tasting competitions- both national and international. 

We are experimenting continuously and hope to have a couple of new products in the market in the very near future.