| Type | Indian whisky |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | United Spirits Ltd (USL) (Diageo) |
| Country of origin | India |
| Introduced | early 1980s |
| Discontinued | Not discontinued |
| Alcohol by volume | 42.8% |
| Colour | Golden amber |
| Flavour | Sweet |
| Ingredients | Alcohol |
| Variants | The following varients below |
| 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 subsidiary of Diageo. It was launched in the early 1980s.[1] According to Binod K. Maitin, a United Breweries technician who oversees all the liquor blends for the company, Royal Challenge is a grain flavored whisky, blended with Scotch malts and Indian malts.[2][3] 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 sugarcane than barley in India.) That means that, strictly speaking, Royal Challenge, like most Indian "whisky", is actually a rum flavored to pass as whisky."[4] The manufacturer has refused to state the percentage of Scotch whisky used in the blend.[2] In the United States, Royal Challenge is referred to as "spirit whisky".[5] Besides India, Royal Challenge is sold in several other countries including the Middle East and the United States.[2][3]