Rampur is a distillery at Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, set up in 1943 by the firm now called Radico Khaitan.1,2,3 G. N. Khaitan bought it in 1972.4 It can make mostly neutral spirit, with a single malt distillery inside the larger plant.2,5,6
In 1991 it set up a malt spirit plant to make malt whisky for the company's blends: a single malt distillery within a distillery, with four copper pot stills.4,6,7 In 1995 G. N. Khaitan divided the family business among his 4 sons, and Lalit Khaitan inherited the liquor division.4 In 1998 the company started its own brands with 8 PM whisky; Wikipedia gives 1999.3,4 In 1999 the name Radico Khaitan was coined from Rampur Distillery Company, when the owner wanted to switch to a branded business.8 In July 2003 Radico announced the installation of an ENA deluxe plant at the distillery.4
In 2016 the company launched Rampur Indian Single Malt, at first only in international markets.7,9,10 In February 2026 whisky author Jim Murray formally opened its latest stillhouse at an event in Delhi.11,12 The distillery has also introduced newly designed pot stills.11,12
Master blender Anup Barik uses Indian six-row barley from the neighbouring states of Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab.7 Barik settled on three yeast strains and a long fermentation to get a fruity, floral and oily spirit.7 To keep lighter floral notes, its stills run long and slow, for eight to 10 hours.7 The spirit still has two condensers, which turn vapour back into spirit, set at different heights to make light and heavy styles.7 The spirit ages on the site in imported American oak barrels, in dedicated malt maturation warehouses.2,5,7 In the warm, humid North Indian climate, maturation is fast and evaporation is high.2,5,7 The whole site can make 104.4 million litres of alcohol a year, only 2.6 million of it malt, and is home to spirits including Indian whisky 8pm.2,5,7
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