Royal Challenge
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| Type | Indian whisky |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | United Spirits Ltd (USL) |
| Country of origin | India |
| Introduced | early 1980s |
| Alcohol by volume | 42.8% |
| Colour | Golden amber |
| Related products | |
| Website | unitedspirits.in/royal-challenge-whisky.aspx |
Royal Challenge, commonly referred to by the abbreviation RC, is a brand of Indian whisky, manufactured by United Spirits Ltd (USL), a Diageo Group company. It was launched in the early 1980s. According to Binod K. Maitin, a United Breweries technician who oversees all the liquor blends for the company, Royal Challenge is a grain based whisky, blended with Scotch malts and Indian malts. In an article for The Wall Street Journal, reporter Eric Felton states that, "About 12% of the blend comes from real malt whiskies: some of it made in India, some actual Scotch. The rest of the mix is a neutral spirit distilled from molasses. (It's much easier and cheaper to grow sugar cane than barley in India.) That means that, strictly speaking, Royal Challenge, like most Indian "whisky", is actually a rum flavored to pass as whisky." The manufacturer has refused to state the percentage of Scotch whisky used in the blend. In the United States, Royal Challenge is referred to as "spirit whisky". Besides India, Royal Challenge is sold in several other countries including the Middle East and the United States.
Royal Challenge was originally manufactured by Shaw Wallace and launched in India in the early 1980s. In March 2000, Shaw Wallace re-launched the brand with new packaging and advertising created by Ammiratis Puris Lintas.
United Spirits Ltd (USL), a Diageo group company, acquired Shaw Wallace in July 2005. On 1 April 2008, Shaw Wallace was merged with USL and Royal Challenge officially became a USL brand. The same month, the UB Group hired Claessens International to redesign the packaging of Royal Challenge.
Royal Challenge was officially introduced in the United States by American United Beer & Spirits (UBS) at the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America Conference in April 2012.
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