John Distilleries Ltd (JDL) is set to expand its Paul John Single Malts (PJSM) category with three additions in this fiscal. Additionally, it will launch two more Select Casks in its PJSM range in the coming months. The company will also triple its production capacity from 1.3 to 3 million litres annually, with the Goa PJSM distillery set to be fully operational soon.
The Paul John Single Malt X will be launched in an exclusive partnership with Avolta Duty-Free, with the single cask available at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport. Paul John Single Malt Mitr 3 is an exclusive single-cask for the Malt Society of Arabia (MSA). And Paul John Single Malt “Ego” is a release from the brand’s Alter-Ego cask series exclusively for the Bengaluru-based Single Malt Amateur Club (SMAC).
“India is currently one of the largest whiskey-consuming countries, but single malt is relatively new. Apart from what we used to buy from international markets, Indian companies have now started producing good quality single malts and that is making inroads with India’s whisky consumers,” said Paul P John, the Chairman of John Distilleries.
PJSM is currently exported to over 50 countries and is the fastest-growing segment for exports for the company. Once the full production of the upgraded Goa distillery commences, it is set to help the company boost its PJSM exports. JDL will explore new markets for exports besides expanding its pan-India footprint for PJSM. The company has invested ₹100 crore in the Goa plant.
Company portfolio
The company’s portfolio has single malts, XO brandy, crafted gins, blended whiskies, premium wines, and IMFL whisky/brandy spirits. JDL will also introduce new rums and vodka. Today, the company has distilleries spread across 12 locations in eight Indian States. JDL’s total production is about 24 million cases per annum across brands. Its sales exceed 22 million cases last fiscal.
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According to industry sources, PJSM’s domestic market sales in FY24 were close to 72,000 cases and has seen a consistent growth of 30 per cent y-oy in the past three years. PJSM has around 20per cent market share in the premium category in the domestic market with Karnataka, Goa, Haryana, and Maharashtra being the top States in terms of sales.
Internationally, in FY24, over 30,000 PJSM cases were sold. Like the domestic market, internationally, the category has seen a 30per cent y-o-y growth. Some top international markets are the US, France, UAE, and Japan. About 50per cent of JDL’s international sales come from PJSM.