Whisky Unscripted

Sriram loves telling brand stories across mediums, from an Instagram reel to a 200-page volume of narrative non-fiction. His writing is influenced by his learnings as a senior brand manager at a start-up, visiting faculty teaching storytelling for entrepreneurs and even delivering lectures on German grammar and audio engineering.

In his downtime, Sriram enjoys swimming with his children, teaching them to bubble and even count for their plunges into the pool. He lives in Bengaluru.

Hemanth is a Bangalore-based IT professional whose keen interest in the rich history of whisky, led him on an exciting exploration since the late 90’s. He possesses an innate curiosity about the unique stories behind every bottle, and this curiosity has taken him on many adventures to hone his skills – from the distilleries in Scotland and Ireland to the hills of Solan and the shores of Goa.

He founded Single Malt Amateur Club in 2011, with one goal in mind – to bring together people from different realms who share his passion for single malt whisky. He aims to bring experiences around all things whisky to fans across the world and is always on the lookout for rare makers and distilleries.

Over the past decade, Hemanth has witnessed a notable evolution in India’s whisky culture. Perhaps the most important change being that it is no longer perceived as an ‘old man’s drink’. New-age whisky drinkers comprise both young men and women who are starting to enjoy whisky and are genuinely interested in the history behind their drinks. Hemanth has also noticed a growing interest in whisky collection across the country.

Some of Hemanth’s favourite whiskies are Ardbeg, Teaninich, Longrow, Lagavulin, Brora, and Glenlivet. Closer to home, he loves Amrut Spectrum 004, Amrut Amaze and Paul John Select Cask Peated.

Ashok Chokalingam joined Amrut Distilleries in February 2004 as Territory Manager – Sales and Marketing, responsible for marketing and logistics for the EU market. He assumed responsibility of International Sales and Marketing in Feb 2007 and then as Head of Distilling from June 2019 and assumed complete responsibility of single malts and premium brands from distillation to blending and bottling. Ashok spent two decades in the International markets and brought in lots of novel ideas in whisky making, and particularly in maturation techniques. He is single-handedly responsible for the creation of, to name a few, ever popular Amrut Spectrum, Naarangi, from conceptualization, production, branding, and packaging. As a widely respected individual within the whisky world for putting India on the single malt world map, he was awarded with ‘Icons of Whisky’, Whisky Ambassador of the Year in 2012 and 2016 by Whisky Magazine, U.K. Perhaps the only one who represents India and the world of whiskies got this coveted award two times. He was also awarded with Icons of Whisky Master Distiller / Blender of the year 2022 in the Indian chapter by Whisky Magazine, U.K.

Born in Tamil Nadu, India, Ashok has wide workplace experience in several fields, including information technology (IT) and engineering plus academic qualifications in Mechanical Engineering and Business management. Ashok completed an MBA at Newcastle Business School, UK, in December 2002, having been awarded an international post-graduate scholarship by the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne. Ashok is an active member of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling, London.

Ashok is an avid golfer and squeezes in any possible time available for a round of golf.

Yamini brings a sense of structure and discipline to everything she does, a quality rooted in her early years as a former professional tennis player (#5 Asia Juniors). Being home-schooled to pursue her sport allowed her to travel widely and develop a keen eye for her surroundings. Her ambidextrous tennis strengths also pay off off-court and reflect in her unique ability to balance creative and strategic thinking, offering a distinctive perspective in everything she tackles.

Practical and self-motivated, Yamini learns quickly and plays to her strengths, making the beverage landscape her new playground at The Outlier. It is the only agency in the country with a niche focus on the spirits world. She enjoys connecting brands, people, and communities to create meaningful conversations. Over the next decade, Yamini aims to help people rethink ‘how’ they communicate. Her goal is to build strong teams, shape future leaders, and empower more individuals to find joy in what they choose to do. Born and raised in Bangalore, she still enjoys getting in a round of tennis and spending time with family and her dog, Enzo.