Puni is a distillery founded in 2010 in South Tyrol by the Italian alps and is named after a local river. Their two pot stills were crafted in Rothes, Scotland and the curious architecture of the distillery makes the building appear much like a giant cheese grater. Puni is guided a great deal by the whisky-making tradition out of Scotland without seeking to copy and is Italy’s first single malt whisky. The Puni Nova is one of their first two offerings (along with Puni Alba) and is matured in first fill American and European ex-bourbon casks for three years and finished for a month in virgin oak casks.
Puni offerings are only sold within Italy currently. A great deal must be said of their customer service, for when we had the opportunity to source a bottle via a traveling coworker, they went above and beyond to make sure the bottle met up with the traveler via timely response and an extra sampler thrown in. This, along with actively marketing in three languages (including English) really showcase what is fantastic about smaller distilleries, when the human touch is still very alive and present. It is these kinds of interactions that can form a bond to a brand, as much as the quality of the liquid in the bottle. We hope they do well enough to eventually widen their distribution to the international market!
Distillery: Puni
Region: Foreign
Age: NAS
Strength: 40%
Price: $66.23
Maturation: ex-bourbon casks
Location: Glorenza, Italy
Nose: Menthol, honey, vegetal
Palate: Honey, cinnamon, clove
Finish: Mint, vanilla
Comments: Water not needed. Also, their font choice/color against the background on their website makes it difficult to read, but give them a chance.
Adam – It pays to let this sit in the glass for a while. It’s taken me a while to acclimate my palate to the Puni Nova, given how unlike most other whiskies it is. But once you come around to it like I’ve done, the slight menthol and sweetness, with a dash of baking spices, gives it almost a sensation akin to a white wine. The extremely pale color doesn’t hurt matters either. The mouthfeel is textured and almost velvety. None of the flavor elements are loud or overpowering. Rather, they’re like a string quartet in the garden while you’re having your afternoon fiesta of olives and cheese and wine, overlooking the vineyards. It’s a daytime drink, leaving you almost refreshed by the end.
Meghan – This would go really well with brunch. It’s got a little bite but is also soft and drinkable. I feel like it would go really well with food, and not have a drink that’ll overpower the food or distract from it.
Almost a sensation akin to a white wine.
Michael – It feels like this is the launching point, the base from which they could build up but they haven’t done more with it yet.
Ben – It doesn’t have anything that overwhelms. One smell we didn’t talk about it was some light ammonia once the glass is empty.
Kate – I get a little rubbing alcohol at first in the nose, but then the vanilla comes through and that’s mostly it. I’m missing things like brine or fruit. The Puni Nova is not offensive. It’s a nice gateway whisky. Definitely some heat and some oakiness.
Henry – A little too much burn for the gentleness of flavor that follows. Light honey and vanilla with quiet hints of spice. Blackberry leaves on a hot day. I really want to see this aged longer and finished with some of the wonderful local wine casks scattered around Italy.
