Good news awaits scotch and whisky lovers in prohibition-bound Bihar, with a caveat.

Foreign Made Foreign Liquor (FMFL) brands such as Glenfiddich, Johnny Walker and Chivas Regal will make an entry in the Patna liquor market in less than a month.

While the newly arrived consignment has to be cleared by the Bihar State Beverages Corporation Limited (BSBCL), retailers are hesitant to procure heavy stocks of the high-end alcohol, as private liquor shops will be closed from April 1 under the state government's new excise and prohibition policy.

The newly arrived consignment of FMFL includes liquor such as Glenfiddich Single Malt, Glenlivet Single Malt, Johnny Walker-Double Black, Black Label and Red Label. Glenfiddich, which means "valley of the deer", made its debut in India in 2002.

Informing about the delay in clearance of the newly arrived stock, a senior BSBCL official said: "Finalisation of the price is yet to be done as 50 per cent value added tax (VAT) on the basic price and another 20 per cent surcharge on the VAT will have to be applied. The stock would be cleared once the prices are finalised. It may take a couple of weeks."

Clearance of the stock notwithstanding, it is unlikely these high-end liquors will be available in bars before April 1. "A separate licence is required to sell FMFL in bars. We have been told that the excise department will issue the licences only after prohibition comes into effect from April 1," said Sumit Kheria, owner of Pind Balluchi restaurant.

Last year on December 24, the excise department issued a notification authorising the BSBCL to buy FMFL from manufacturers, suppliers and importers to distribute for retail purposes to licensed foreign-liquor shops operating in the state. The notification allowed sale of 12 FMFL brands, three brands of wine manufactured by Sula Vineyards, and Bacardi's low alcohol content beverage Breezer through licensed liquor shops. The retail sale of Breezer in Patna commenced in the second week of January. Red, white and sparkling wines have been available in the retail market from February 14.

Bar owners claimed there was good demand for high-end FMFL in the state. "There is definitely a niche market for such products," said Kheria. "There was a time when customers wanted such products but they were not available in the market. We expect that the sale of these products would account for 15- 20 per cent of the total liquor sale once they hit the market."

Alcohol aficionados in the city are excited.

"People in the upscale society are gradually switching from regular whisky to malt scotch. Like wine and champagne, it is suave and consumed with etiquettes", said Jai Vardhan, a Noida-based e-commerce expert who is from Patna.

As per the new prohibition norms, sale of liquor will be permitted only in urban areas including those under the jurisdiction of municipal corporation and municipalities from April 1. Under the New Excise Policy, 2015, the BSBCL will run around 600 liquor shops across the state, including 90 in the Patna Municipal Corporation area.