2 weeks ago
Isthmus 44 Targets India’s Untapped Ultra-Premium Whisky Market
Isthmus 44 is a company that chooses special whisky barrels from Scotland.
It does not make the whisky itself.
Instead, it selects individual barrels and bottles them in small numbered batches called Chapters.
Each barrel tastes different, so the same Chapter is not made again.
The company says Indian customers are showing strong interest in these rare bottles.
It believes India’s market could grow in a way similar to Taiwan’s market for single-malt whisky.
Isthmus 44 plans to enter more Indian cities but does not want to make large quantities of identical whisky.
It has received early investment and is seeking more funding to expand.
Isthmus 44 is among India’s first independent bottlers and curatorial houses for single-cask Scotch whisky.
Founder Sachin Uppal said enquiries for the first 300-odd-bottle Chapter have exceeded its full outturn.
The company believes India’s independent-bottling market could follow Taiwan’s single-malt growth trajectory.
Isthmus 44 plans to expand from Gurgaon into Chandigarh, Bangalore, Mumbai and Pune while avoiding volume-driven growth.
The company has raised seed funding and is discussing a larger round to support new Chapters, markets and retail expansion.
- Who
- Isthmus 44, operated by Tartan Paisley Bev Private Limited, and founder Sachin Uppal.
- What
- The company is expanding its independent-bottled, single-cask Scotch whisky business in India.
- Where
- The company is currently present in Gurgaon, Haryana, with planned expansion to Chandigarh, Bangalore, Mumbai and Pune; the whisky is bottled in Scotland.
- When
- The report was published on August 19, 2026; expansion is planned during 2026 and over the next couple of years.
- Why
- Isthmus 44 sees India’s ultra-premium, curated whisky segment as largely untapped and wants to develop it through limited, provenance-driven releases.
Key facts
- Company
- Isthmus 44, operated under Tartan Paisley Bev Private Limited
- Founder
- Sachin Uppal
- Product model
- Individual casks selected in Scotland and released as finite, numbered Chapters
- First release
- Chapter One had an outturn of roughly 300 bottles, with enquiries exceeding that amount
- Current Indian presence
- Gurgaon, Haryana
- Planned markets
- Chandigarh, Bangalore, Mumbai and Pune
- Funding
- A seed round has been raised, and a larger follow-on round is under discussion
- Bottling location
- Scotland
Quotes
Sachin Uppal
Founder, Isthmus 44 and independent bottler
“We don’t make whisky; we choose it. Rather than distilling or blending, we select individual casks directly from distilleries and warehouses in Scotland and bottle each one as a finite, numbered release we call a Chapter.”
thehindubusinessline.com
“Scaling by making more of the same cask isn’t possible, and manufacturing scarcity to fake growth isn’t something we’re interested in.”
thehindubusinessline.com
Sources
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