Italian Stallion: Puni Italian Single Malt

The other day, I was asked if I was in to wine. Well, I like wine and I have a basic knowledge of some grape varieties, some producers and some vintages; but to be honest, I know a lot of people who have a far greater depth and breadth of knowledge than I on the subject.

A long time ago, when I first fell in love with whisky, it seemed that Scotch was a world which I could get to grips with more easily than, say, wine. Scotch whisky to me seemed like a triangle with three sections. At the base there is blended whisky; high volume and focused on consistency. The most FMCG part of whisky business, by a long way.

The middle of the triangle: single malts. Certain distilleries who bottle their own product, often with a range of easy-to-understand, age statement products growing in maturity throughout their range. Again, with consistency playing a major roll.

At the top of my pyramid, are single casks. These often come from distilleries who don’t normally release a single malt, or if they do, are in some way unique. Yet these are never about consistency; these are the ‘flair players’ in the team. Temperamental, inconsistent, but sometimes utterly brilliant.

This simplistic approach to one part of the whisk(e)y world seemed light years away from wine, where one side of the river differs to another, one vintage to the next, and on it goes. Throw in grape variety, the producer and production, the weather, bottle-aging and when to open and drink the product... oh, and then learn this all for every country that makes wine around the world and it makes understanding wine seem like particle physics, while understanding whisky? Well, more like lego.

But with whisky globally seeing a renaissance, once silent Scotch distilleries reopening, new ones coming on line all the time, all around the world (the President of the American Distilling Institute in the US tells us there are now over 550 craft distilleries in operation there, many making whiskey as well as gin and other spirits) and countries like Japan throwing down the gauntlet to the Scotch whisky industry in terms of sheer quality of spirit, the whole category has become a lot more complex in the past decade or so.

And it is this issue of quality which can only be a good thing for whisk(e)y across the world. Scotch, very much seen as a premium product in the category, cannot afford to rest on its laurels. Just because it is considered the home of whisky, where some would even say it was invented, is no excuse to kick back and ‘chillax’. After all, it was a Scotsman who invented the television. But would you buy a Scottish TV today? No. Would you buy a Japanese TV? Yes.

Whisk(e)y has grown and the world has embraced. New and exciting countries are producing whisky, which have never done so before and here am I am going to look at a new single malt distillery which is the first and only in its country: Italy.

When starting off with a blank page, with no history, no millstone of tradition, then why not do something different; this is exactly what the Epensberger family, the folk behind the Puni distillery in Northern Italy, have done.

From their jaw-dropping building, a 13-meter tall red brick cube, through to their two current products, a new make and a very young single malt (note the lack of the term ‘whisky’ here) matured in local wine casks which are stored in ex-military bunkers, the whole affair is unique.

These two releases, initially called simply ‘White’ and ‘Red’ and latterly renamed ‘Pure’ and ‘Alba’, are the only two products produced by the distillery, with the first being young spirit (6 months old) and the second being matured for twice as long in Marsala Vergine wine casks from Sicilly. Both products have been upped from their original strength of 40% to a new, higher strength of 43% abv and, unlike the ‘White’ and ‘Red’ which were only sold locally, these will both be available internationally.

The ‘Pure’ is a classic new make, with lovely vanilla, malts and honey, backed with a hint of fennel and fresh leather.

Puni Distillery – Alba – 6 months old - Marsala Vergine – Sample - 43% abv

Nose: No getting away from it, this is young and spirit (as you would expect at 6 months old), but it is not argressive in any way. The aromas are well balanced and soft, with a big hit of green apple sours, pear drops, young banana, some blackcurrants and croissants dusted with icing sugar. Right at the back sits peach melba and dream topping. Very inviting and very promising...

Palate: Again, no doubting the age of this, but the palate is full of flavour; the banana from the nose is back, this time with toffee and some elements of instant coffee. After the fruits, the palate develops a nutty quality with walnuts and hazelnut praline. Once again, you would expect something aggressive or unruly and energetic at this young age, but it is restrained and well balanced.

Finished: The finish is where the nutty quality lingers with the hazelnut praline giving taking the headline slot, before milk chocolate and cream finishes off.

Overall: Very tasty stuff at such an early age. Very much keeping an eye on this place...

As the world of whisky continues to grow, I’m sure many new distilleries will pop up in countries where we have never seen them before. But more power to these emerging producers, especially if their style is as effortless, and the product as drinkable as that of the good family Ebensperger at Puni distillery.

Welcome Aboard!!

Last week, I had a mini travel meltdown, much in the same vein as the wonderfully funny film- 'Trains, Planes and Automobiles'
I first got stuck in an unbelievable traffic jam, all for the sake of a seemingly inept team of electricians digging up the same piece of road, which another seemingly inept team from a telecommunications company had dug up and filled in only days before. Then, on my way to a whisky tasting, my train ground to a halt as the driver had 'clocked off' early with no one able to locate his replacement.

The trilogy of travel tragedy was completed by the return of the volcanic ash cloud delaying some friends I had staying. Sadly, it looks like it might return again next week... NOOOOO!

It's times like this, when there's only really a few options left dear readers;

1. Become a reclusive type, only venturing out on foot to procure more whisky.

2. Charter an overnight piggyback from a large muscular gentleman (ala, Geoff Capes- World's Strongest Man, 1983 and champion Budgerigar breeder)

3. Locate the nearest 70ft yacht and slip on a piped boating blazer.

Admittedly, finding a local yacht is not that easy if you live in Tamworth (or central London for that matter) but the feel of a maritime wind rushing through your locks is enough to get me feeling giddy, quicker than you can say 'Howards Way'

All this leads me to a recent excursion I took over in Venice. There are no cars, or trains to screw up your travelling plans, just lots of open water and even smaller water ways, with which you can traverse this diverse and architecturally unique city.

My last visit to Venice was as a small child and I seem to remember becoming bored within 5 minutes of viewing yet another glass blowing museum with my parents. However this time was very different- it involved drinking Talisker, a visit to the legendary 'Harry's Bar' and a short trip on an immaculately restored sailing vessel.

Talisker has a number of associations with the sea. Firstly there's no escaping that wonderfully evocative coastal aroma, which tells us many a tale about life on the Isle of Skye. It is also one of the destinations on the (now famous) Classic Malts Cruise, which takes would-be sailors on a 200-mile voyage through the Inner Hebrides, from Oban to Skye, and back south via the distilleries of Islay. Now the Italians have got in on the act, with their very own 2000km whisky cruise, starting in Genoa on the West coast of Italy, visiting Naples and Palermo on the way, with the finish line in Venice, to the North East of the country.



The boat in question is a wonderful piece of history. Built in 1897, it has been painstakingly restored to its former glory, with all the modern sailing gizmos such as motorised rigging and sonar all hidden beneath the authentic wooden decking.



Our short trip around the Venetian coastline started with several restorative cocktails in Harry's Bar, made famous as Hemingway's watering hole of choice and as the creator of the Bellini. Rain had descended giving Venice a murky character, reminiscent of the film 'Don't Look Now', but little was to dampen our spirits as we took the vessel out of the harbour. If anything, the slightly choppy sea and damp air almost gave the impression that a little piece of Skye had come to Italy, perfect for a Talisker tasting!



As I took the wheel (before downing any drams, I assure you) a real sense of calm washed over me- I've never been much of a sailor (my Great Uncle had the sea legs in our family) and for a brief moment, I began to understand how strong-willed men and women can suddenly abandon their lives on land and take to the high seas, in search of adventure and a sense of the unknown. It is a formidable beast the sea, with the ability to turn on anyone who cares to disrespect its authority in a mere heartbeat. Fortunately for me, the sun had just started to come out which signalled the beginning of our Talisker tasting, which included 6 expressions from the range.

We've reviewed a good number of Talisker's on here before, but never out in the open (and certainly not on the ocean!) so I was keen to see how the briney air and the undoubtedly beautiful background scenery would influence the character of this superb whisky. Here are the highlights.

First up: A liberal measure of the 10 yr old, which as expected, gives out bags of soft peat, mixed with a classic salty mouthfeel and slightly hot chilli finish. To coin a phrase from a good friend of ours, 'it goes down like a waterfall and comes up again like a volcano'. A solid and definitive start then.

Next: the 18yo. I haven't tried this for a good while, since I gave the remaining half bottle I had been keeping to my neighbour, as a forfeit for losing a chess match. Grrr.

Talisker 18 yo - 45.8%

Nose: Sweet candied fruit, almonds, (hint of sweet marzipan) classic Talisker peat and a more pronounced pepperiness, with some lovely coal dust notes emerging.

Palate: Humbugs, more candied fruit, with a sweet peat smoke twisting its way around the tongue.

Finish: Lengthy and sweet, with a hint of salt emerging at the death.

Overall: I think this could have only been bettered by having our own Tenor serenading us whilst we drank it!

Talisker Distillers Edition (2009) 45.8% Distilled 1998 - final maturation in Amoroso Sherrywood

Nose: Toffee apples, with a sweet Demerera sugar note, drier sherry notes and a hint of wet hay and soft smoke.

Palate: Much sweeter on the palate than the 10yo, with red apples, more brown sugar, then into the hint of Talisker pepper and smoke that we know and love.

Finish: Woody notes come to the fore, with a sherry/wine note lingering in the mouth.

Overall: You can see the influence of the Amoroso wood on this, but fortunately, it hasn't dominated the original Talisker too much, just nudged it along in a different direction. Very good indeed.

Talisker 30 yo - 2009 bottling 53.1%

Nose: More candied fruit (Rhubarb and Custards - remember them?) but this time floral notes too- rose petals, mixed with a dose of Iodine, soft peat, Cream soda and some white chocolate. So much more delicate than any of the other expressions. With water, a lighter grassy note comes through.

Palate: An explosion of fruit, with strawberries, plums, with a hint of the Talisker pepper. With water, more fruit notes emerge with a lighter creaminess. Also, hints of Earl Grey tea come through. Fruity and aromatic. Not the first thing that Talisker conjures up, but this never ceases to amaze and delight in equal measure.

Finish: Lingering traces of sweetness merge into pepper and a drying cedarwood note.

Overall: A superb expression, made all the more special by the surroundings.



The sun has finally fully reared its head and we shore up the yacht to the quayside, near to the Basilica di San Marco. Quite a few people are drawn to the vessel and before long, more whisky is poured and the conversation is in full flow. Although this will be the yacht's final mooring place for a while, the entire voyage around the coast (expertly skippered by Captain Davide) has been a real success, not only bringing a taste of Skye to Italian whisky lovers but also a sense of adventure. One thing's for sure, it conclusively proves that Talisker is the ultimate Maritime malt- for those of you that fancy taking to the unknown waters, there's only one dram to fill into your hip flasks with!

this one 'beg'gars belief!

Today, I was going through a few old note books, which had gone missing in action, presumed dead, only to re-appear under a big pile of papers in my spare room.  To my amazement, I found a series of tasting notes which we really should have posted a while back (more of these to come soon)  

As I flicked through this little treasure trove, my knees suddenly went weak and my pulse raced far above its normally dull thump, thump, thump... I had unearthed one of the most memorable tastings in our short, but perfectly flavoured history of Caskstrength.  Reading through the furiously scribbled notes, I was transported straight back to a particular bottle which totally knocked my socks off!!  

Anyway, no more waffling... to those who know this bottling, it needs no introduction:

Ardbeg - distilled 1972 - single cask, no. 2782 - bottled in 2003 by Velier for Italian market - 49.9% vol - 246 bottles

Nose: Swimming pool mustiness, rich white chocolate, tangerine zest, marzipan, hints of Earl Grey tea and cream soda.  Unbelievably balanced and expressive.  It's the sort of nose you can lose an hour in, without hesitation.  

Palate: Old and totally proud of its heritage.  Sweet creamy fudge, a succulent mouth feel with the kind of gentle peat smoke that swirls across the tongue, never overpowering it.  Further in, hints of some fragrant vanilla and condensed milk grab your attention and just never let go.  This run of Bourbon casks (consecutive sister casks from 1972 were released in France and Denmark too) must have been right at their sweet spot. Stunning stuff. 

Finish:  More waves of that lightly peated goodness, which just never gets tired.  No over-dryness or oak- just classic, brilliant, old Ardbeg. 

Overall:  Another lesson from the distillery in whisky perfection.  If we could travel forward in time 30 years or so, i'd love to do a lateral tasting with this, against a single cask of today's Ardbeg. I'll be 64 then.  Hope my pension stretches that far for a couple of bottles!!